Friday, January 30, 2009
M.I.A. on Tavis Smiley: Genocide, The War on Terror and Social Change Though Music
also check out today's wall street journal for an amazing interview with her:
WSJ: You're nominated for an Oscar and a Grammy as the conflict in Sri Lanka is heating up, with accusations of very ugly behavior by both sides. Does that make for a bittersweet moment?
M.I.A.: I'm also nominated for a Brit Award in England. But for me nominations are not like a musical thing. It's more like me having a platform. The point of success is being able to tell a wider audience about the situation in Sri Lanka.
Your lyrics address issues like human trafficking and guerrilla warfare in a telling-it-like-it-is, almost amoral way that's similar to the way gangsta rap treated drug dealing and urban violence in the 1990s. Do you see a connection?
I've seen, with my own eyes, a lot of s- go down. I've seen people get massacred in front of me. My school was burned to the ground when I was 6 years old. When you come from that kind of background, you do become matter of fact, and tell it like it is.
What do you say to critics, like the Sri Lankan rapper Delon, who accuse you of glorifying terrorism?
If you think lyrics about guns are bad, I shouldn't have been shot at when I was 7 years old.
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Anti-Fashion Feminist
I am bummed that the feminists I know are so into fashion these days. I value personal style as a means of expression (sorta) and understand that it is considered an 'art form' but wonder what it means that most women//girls spend so much time on what we look like in comparison to most men/boys in a world where we are still judged by our appearance to a greater degree than most men/boys are. It's something I think about a lot but don' t have much to say about yet, though I will probably write about it at some point. There is a double standard at work that needs to be interrogated before this is just a matter of "personal choice". This doesn't mean I am giving away my berets or beatle-boots anytime soon by the way. I enjoy wearing 'outfits' sometimes too, but I try not to focus on it too much.
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
What's a haircut anyway?
Riding the bus today I noticed more (ironic?) mullets, mustaches and hippies than ever before. I miss the innocence of an 80's mohawk. I mean, it seems like more than a generation gap. While I do find these haircuts and looks in general to be insanely ugly-*ok that part is maybe part generation gap*---what freaks me out is that the kids don't seem to mean it.
Maybe they DO mean it. But how do you mean irony? This is what I call post-irony. It's a little confusing....
I have a friend who claims to hate irony (and the 80's) who swears he collects California raisins because he REALLY SINCERELY loves the California raisins. This kind of post-irony, where the ironic tactic of referencing something historically is claimed as an act of authenticity, has been going on for awhile now. I remember noticing it for the first time in the late 80s. But what does it mean to REALLY LOVE a bad bad haircut. How can you MEAN a mullet?
During the 70's/80's rise of the mullet, it was also called a saftey cut. People had this haircut so they could have both long and short hair at the same time. You could be a rocker (long hair) and still get a job (tidy short hair in front, away from your face). Hence SAFETY cut. It has a long history as a working class haircut, possibly for this reason.
When people in the 90's started bringing the mullet back ironically (see article in Grand Royale, the Beastie Boys magazine, from 93 or 94 for an early, influential spiel) I found it to be disrespectful and in poor taste. Like when people love to laugh at someone who is so behind the times or whatever. It was just kind of mean. I didn't think it was funny or "cool" to make jokes about mullets or laugh at people with them, I just found it depressing and sad.
In the past few years, the mullet has become the new mohawk. Not just worn by fashionista hipsters at discos, but dreaded bad-haircutted punx have now have them too. They have this weird combo of a safety cut and a "no hawk", which is a mullet-y mohawk that has no actual shaved parts, just some longer hair in the midddle, surrounded by shorter hair. This haircut is super trendy right now. There is a newer version of it that combines the mullet or 'bi-level' with a new wave asymmetrical hair cut. To me this looks extremely silly and the punx who wear them seem to be super into road warrior--also silly in a punksploitation type way... see also quincy punks the suburban phenomenon, not to be confused with the band quincy punx... But whatevs.
Anyhow, this haircut has been around for at least five years or so, but it just keeps getting more and more popular....as do the mustaches and the punks-turned-hippies. I can't tell the 'hipster' hippies from the hippy-hippies anymore. And then today there was this one young woman on the bus with a mullet who looked like a real 80's mom, not like a kid trying to dress like an 80's mom. I really couldn't tell if she was being ironic or not. I think she just really wants to have a mullet because she thinks it's the best haircut, not because she thinks it's funny or weird. I think she means it. I'm trying to understand this and I can't understand it. It just looks bad to me and it always will. Like she got the 80's wrong. Or maybe she doesn't even know this is an 80's look. Is that possible? Post-Irony or just bad fashion? Maybe post-post irony, where the historical reference ceases to be evoked entirely, in which case, a rose is a rose is a rose (see gertrude stein) and the thing being signified becomes the thing itself. But, a mullet is still a symbol, regardless or whether or not the kid wearing it is aware of its history.
I'm writing this at a time when I am more anti-fashion than I have been since I was teenager, but I have been thinking about this as an example of irony vs. authenticity. The poser vs. the punk. The carefully constructed and outwardly expressed authenticity of "the punk" might also be a little hard to take....but given a choice...at least everyone knows a mohawk is supposed to be rebellious. Right? What about MR T you ask? Hmmm. I'll have to think about it.
I guess I understand that someone who had never heard Marvin Gaye or Gladys Knight and the Pips before the California Raisins covered I Heard It Through the Grapevine could love them...especially if they were a little kid during that time period. I mean, I didn't properly hear Aretha Franklin or Booker T and the MGs until I saw the Blues Brothers for example. But you don't see me collecting Blues Brothers memorabilia either. No. I collect Stax/Volt singles, as it should be.
Ok ok ok. You are not what you own etc. (see Underground Ideas 2009)
But are you what you wear?
What is a haircut anyway?
I'm going to listen to Alternative TV and try and remember what punk means to me.
Maybe they DO mean it. But how do you mean irony? This is what I call post-irony. It's a little confusing....
I have a friend who claims to hate irony (and the 80's) who swears he collects California raisins because he REALLY SINCERELY loves the California raisins. This kind of post-irony, where the ironic tactic of referencing something historically is claimed as an act of authenticity, has been going on for awhile now. I remember noticing it for the first time in the late 80s. But what does it mean to REALLY LOVE a bad bad haircut. How can you MEAN a mullet?
During the 70's/80's rise of the mullet, it was also called a saftey cut. People had this haircut so they could have both long and short hair at the same time. You could be a rocker (long hair) and still get a job (tidy short hair in front, away from your face). Hence SAFETY cut. It has a long history as a working class haircut, possibly for this reason.
When people in the 90's started bringing the mullet back ironically (see article in Grand Royale, the Beastie Boys magazine, from 93 or 94 for an early, influential spiel) I found it to be disrespectful and in poor taste. Like when people love to laugh at someone who is so behind the times or whatever. It was just kind of mean. I didn't think it was funny or "cool" to make jokes about mullets or laugh at people with them, I just found it depressing and sad.
In the past few years, the mullet has become the new mohawk. Not just worn by fashionista hipsters at discos, but dreaded bad-haircutted punx have now have them too. They have this weird combo of a safety cut and a "no hawk", which is a mullet-y mohawk that has no actual shaved parts, just some longer hair in the midddle, surrounded by shorter hair. This haircut is super trendy right now. There is a newer version of it that combines the mullet or 'bi-level' with a new wave asymmetrical hair cut. To me this looks extremely silly and the punx who wear them seem to be super into road warrior--also silly in a punksploitation type way... see also quincy punks the suburban phenomenon, not to be confused with the band quincy punx... But whatevs.
Anyhow, this haircut has been around for at least five years or so, but it just keeps getting more and more popular....as do the mustaches and the punks-turned-hippies. I can't tell the 'hipster' hippies from the hippy-hippies anymore. And then today there was this one young woman on the bus with a mullet who looked like a real 80's mom, not like a kid trying to dress like an 80's mom. I really couldn't tell if she was being ironic or not. I think she just really wants to have a mullet because she thinks it's the best haircut, not because she thinks it's funny or weird. I think she means it. I'm trying to understand this and I can't understand it. It just looks bad to me and it always will. Like she got the 80's wrong. Or maybe she doesn't even know this is an 80's look. Is that possible? Post-Irony or just bad fashion? Maybe post-post irony, where the historical reference ceases to be evoked entirely, in which case, a rose is a rose is a rose (see gertrude stein) and the thing being signified becomes the thing itself. But, a mullet is still a symbol, regardless or whether or not the kid wearing it is aware of its history.
I'm writing this at a time when I am more anti-fashion than I have been since I was teenager, but I have been thinking about this as an example of irony vs. authenticity. The poser vs. the punk. The carefully constructed and outwardly expressed authenticity of "the punk" might also be a little hard to take....but given a choice...at least everyone knows a mohawk is supposed to be rebellious. Right? What about MR T you ask? Hmmm. I'll have to think about it.
I guess I understand that someone who had never heard Marvin Gaye or Gladys Knight and the Pips before the California Raisins covered I Heard It Through the Grapevine could love them...especially if they were a little kid during that time period. I mean, I didn't properly hear Aretha Franklin or Booker T and the MGs until I saw the Blues Brothers for example. But you don't see me collecting Blues Brothers memorabilia either. No. I collect Stax/Volt singles, as it should be.
Ok ok ok. You are not what you own etc. (see Underground Ideas 2009)
But are you what you wear?
What is a haircut anyway?
I'm going to listen to Alternative TV and try and remember what punk means to me.
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Spider and the Webs Tonight at Old School
spider and the webs
opening for the thrones and sedan
no p.a.
come imagine hearing us whisper and maybe catch a scream or two
9PM
benefit for the reef
downtown oly
ALL AGES
opening for the thrones and sedan
no p.a.
come imagine hearing us whisper and maybe catch a scream or two
9PM
benefit for the reef
downtown oly
ALL AGES
Saturday, January 24, 2009
Do you wanna make movies?
Do Your Wanna Make Movies? Do you live in Oly?
You should come to the very first brainstorming meeting of the Olympia Radical Video and Film Making Collective. All skill levels are encouraged to attend which means you don't need an ounce of film or video making experience. The meeting is tomorrow at 1PM at CJ's house.
Address: 1517 San Francisco St.
(near the bakery)
Hope to see you all there.
(Repost from Jen)
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Amy Yao: Art Happening in NYC 1/24
Not knowing what to do and where to go is sometimes better than being a busy body.
Ms. Yao's sculptures are in limbo, they are neither here nor there. What has been said about
them is pussy, pussy-cat toy, bow and arrow, Hollywood starlet.
Evasive but still determined, they exist.
Opening Reception / Bubbles bursting
Amy Yao
Saturday, January, 24, 2009
6:30–9 PM
(& afterparty TBA)
January 24–28, 2009
By appointment
Contact
amy@amysyao.info
W/ ——————
141 Division Street
New York NY 10002
withnyc@gmail.com
www.jiminie.org/WITH
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Underground Ideas 2009
the jigsaw underground thinks it shouldn't have to say these things, but is constantly thinking about them.
1. there's no such thing as a "cool" bar
stop wasting your life. the bush presidency is over. time to get on with it.
every second you spend sitting on your ass 'consuming' alcohol is another second closer to death. (idea/terminology credit to joaquin de la puente lll)
you are also spending your time as a consumer. exchanging dollars for drinks. this is capitalism.
if you wanna party, join a beer-making collective or make your own wine. have creative fun times in the woods, at your friends house, host a party!
just get out of the bar!
i realized that by playing 100 shows in 12 months in what was basically a bar-band, I spent 1 out of every 3-4 days in a bar....what is this kind of touring for? you play to drunk people every night why? to distract them from what's really going on? like the wars in Iraq/Afghanistan????
not my idea of punk. time to move on. all ages in 2009.
go to all ages shows and pay to get in so bands can afford to tour this way and even make enough money in their own town to pay their expenses. $8 is not too much to go see 3 or 4 bands. that is the price of two drinks, dear. hardly a fortune. you can afford it. it's a matter of changing your priorities.
here are my personal bar rules:
-try not to go to bars unless something is happening, i.e. dj night or show
-if i drink, two drink limit at bar
-try to only stay for the show or 1 or 2 hours
-try to have interesting conversations with people. if that's not possible, go home and read/write letters or do something fun/productive/meaningful
please feel free to make up your own rules.
2. dismissing something based on genre or hype, is buying into capitalist ways of organizing information.
there are good songs in every style of music, and all musicians have to promote themselves in order to earn a living
not buying coffee at "insert name brand here" because you don't want to be perceived as a certain kind of person, feeds into the idea that a brand or a logo or what you consume is who you are.
similarly, not going to a 'black-metal' show because you are in an indie-pop band or only like country music made in the 1930's is to substitute genres for logos and is another form of conspicuous consumption. obviously this is not a threat to capitalism.
if you are into a certain kind of music, fine, but don't let that define you or close you off to a world of experience.
punk is an attitude, not a style of music, etc.
3. there's no such thing as a cool corporation
sure some pay health insurance and treat their workers well, others don't. that is important to know and take into consideration when deciding how to spend your money and in some cases, where to work.
but ultimately, corporations are part of a system that is destroying the world.
we need to support co-ops and find alternatives to capitalist globalization
4. talking about ad campaigns is actively promoting word-of-mouth advertising. every time you say "name brand" you are working for the man
this is what I didn't like about Ann Elizabeth Moore's book, although there were things I did like about it.
5. punks are artists/ the punk as artist: being an artist is not exclusive and does not (necessarily) rest on 'talent', 'skill' or 'worthiness'. also, being an artist does not make you a special person. what it does do is put you in a position where you can use symbols to express ideas, and this can be done for incendiary political purposes as well as for fun or to kill time or to entertain yourself, your family, your friends....even strangers. it also provides a connection between you as an individual and the world as a whole in which you are active --as opposed to passive-- which is what you are when you spend your free time as a consumer. some people call this being a producer.
the jigsaw underground says: participate! create! make stuff happen not just stuff to buy and sell! by all means, paint! be a punk rocker!
this means: spend your time questioning the status quo, tearing shit down and creating your own world via your band, fanzine, painting, comic, film, play, novel etc.
by being/becoming artists and creating culture, we can create new meanings that change how we think about and live in the world.
this is based on the idea that language is socially constructed through cultural institutions and that making art is to intervene in the process of how things come to mean what they mean. symbols=language. meaning is culturally contingent. when art is culture and not just in a museum, it has more potential for change. this is where the term 'cultural production' comes into it.
examples:
M.I.A.
bikini kill
the clash
crass
sex pistols
public enemy
black flag
bratmobile
heaven's to betsy
huggy bear
minor threat
beat happening
woody guthrie
nina simone
bob dylan
please create your own list.
6. the easiest way of defining yourself is by saying 'i hate bla bla bla' i'm different. but like the death by chocolate song illustrates, 'what do you like' is a far more difficult question to answer.
(if you know me, you know this is something i struggle with and that i also value negativity to the point of absurdity/comedy and that it sometimes threatens to take over my entire social personality--yet i wanna recognize its theoretical limits here.)
this is one reason why bands against bush was so easy to organize, yet stuck and unable to move forward.
we are moving out of the bush era, into a whole new historical epoch.
here's my suggestion:
try to come up with a list of criteria for deciding what you like. how would you like the world to change? how could society be organized differently?
in order to do this, in my opinion, we need to critique capitalism in every day language. this means being able to define what capitalism is and identify how it functions in our lives on a day to day basis.
the questions we need to work on:
what is capitalism? how does it function? can it be resisted/dismantled? why or why not/ how?
then do the same with neo-colonialism, imperialism, empire and globalization.
no jargon or technical terms unless you can define them in non-jargon or non-technical terms using concrete examples.
these are theoretical baby steps, but i think that if we change how we think about the world, we can change how we live in it. if we can change how our actions impact the world we live in, that is a step in the right direction.
i want to change the world.
you have to start somewhere.
this manifesto is a work in progress.
1. there's no such thing as a "cool" bar
stop wasting your life. the bush presidency is over. time to get on with it.
every second you spend sitting on your ass 'consuming' alcohol is another second closer to death. (idea/terminology credit to joaquin de la puente lll)
you are also spending your time as a consumer. exchanging dollars for drinks. this is capitalism.
if you wanna party, join a beer-making collective or make your own wine. have creative fun times in the woods, at your friends house, host a party!
just get out of the bar!
i realized that by playing 100 shows in 12 months in what was basically a bar-band, I spent 1 out of every 3-4 days in a bar....what is this kind of touring for? you play to drunk people every night why? to distract them from what's really going on? like the wars in Iraq/Afghanistan????
not my idea of punk. time to move on. all ages in 2009.
go to all ages shows and pay to get in so bands can afford to tour this way and even make enough money in their own town to pay their expenses. $8 is not too much to go see 3 or 4 bands. that is the price of two drinks, dear. hardly a fortune. you can afford it. it's a matter of changing your priorities.
here are my personal bar rules:
-try not to go to bars unless something is happening, i.e. dj night or show
-if i drink, two drink limit at bar
-try to only stay for the show or 1 or 2 hours
-try to have interesting conversations with people. if that's not possible, go home and read/write letters or do something fun/productive/meaningful
please feel free to make up your own rules.
2. dismissing something based on genre or hype, is buying into capitalist ways of organizing information.
there are good songs in every style of music, and all musicians have to promote themselves in order to earn a living
not buying coffee at "insert name brand here" because you don't want to be perceived as a certain kind of person, feeds into the idea that a brand or a logo or what you consume is who you are.
similarly, not going to a 'black-metal' show because you are in an indie-pop band or only like country music made in the 1930's is to substitute genres for logos and is another form of conspicuous consumption. obviously this is not a threat to capitalism.
if you are into a certain kind of music, fine, but don't let that define you or close you off to a world of experience.
punk is an attitude, not a style of music, etc.
3. there's no such thing as a cool corporation
sure some pay health insurance and treat their workers well, others don't. that is important to know and take into consideration when deciding how to spend your money and in some cases, where to work.
but ultimately, corporations are part of a system that is destroying the world.
we need to support co-ops and find alternatives to capitalist globalization
4. talking about ad campaigns is actively promoting word-of-mouth advertising. every time you say "name brand" you are working for the man
this is what I didn't like about Ann Elizabeth Moore's book, although there were things I did like about it.
5. punks are artists/ the punk as artist: being an artist is not exclusive and does not (necessarily) rest on 'talent', 'skill' or 'worthiness'. also, being an artist does not make you a special person. what it does do is put you in a position where you can use symbols to express ideas, and this can be done for incendiary political purposes as well as for fun or to kill time or to entertain yourself, your family, your friends....even strangers. it also provides a connection between you as an individual and the world as a whole in which you are active --as opposed to passive-- which is what you are when you spend your free time as a consumer. some people call this being a producer.
the jigsaw underground says: participate! create! make stuff happen not just stuff to buy and sell! by all means, paint! be a punk rocker!
this means: spend your time questioning the status quo, tearing shit down and creating your own world via your band, fanzine, painting, comic, film, play, novel etc.
by being/becoming artists and creating culture, we can create new meanings that change how we think about and live in the world.
this is based on the idea that language is socially constructed through cultural institutions and that making art is to intervene in the process of how things come to mean what they mean. symbols=language. meaning is culturally contingent. when art is culture and not just in a museum, it has more potential for change. this is where the term 'cultural production' comes into it.
examples:
M.I.A.
bikini kill
the clash
crass
sex pistols
public enemy
black flag
bratmobile
heaven's to betsy
huggy bear
minor threat
beat happening
woody guthrie
nina simone
bob dylan
please create your own list.
6. the easiest way of defining yourself is by saying 'i hate bla bla bla' i'm different. but like the death by chocolate song illustrates, 'what do you like' is a far more difficult question to answer.
(if you know me, you know this is something i struggle with and that i also value negativity to the point of absurdity/comedy and that it sometimes threatens to take over my entire social personality--yet i wanna recognize its theoretical limits here.)
this is one reason why bands against bush was so easy to organize, yet stuck and unable to move forward.
we are moving out of the bush era, into a whole new historical epoch.
here's my suggestion:
try to come up with a list of criteria for deciding what you like. how would you like the world to change? how could society be organized differently?
in order to do this, in my opinion, we need to critique capitalism in every day language. this means being able to define what capitalism is and identify how it functions in our lives on a day to day basis.
the questions we need to work on:
what is capitalism? how does it function? can it be resisted/dismantled? why or why not/ how?
then do the same with neo-colonialism, imperialism, empire and globalization.
no jargon or technical terms unless you can define them in non-jargon or non-technical terms using concrete examples.
these are theoretical baby steps, but i think that if we change how we think about the world, we can change how we live in it. if we can change how our actions impact the world we live in, that is a step in the right direction.
i want to change the world.
you have to start somewhere.
this manifesto is a work in progress.
Best of 2008 by Billy Karren
tobi
this is my ### one moment in 2008
thanks Jigsaw===we need it---
ok
here it is:
this is my ### one moment in 2008
thanks Jigsaw===we need it---
ok
here it is:
Saturday, January 17, 2009
Best of 2008 by Wendy Yao
meeting rza
i.u.d. at the mandrake
silver daggers at ooga booga
abe vidoga at the smell
ladies-only sunday hike clubhttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif
david attenborough dvd watching
hot love swiss punk and wave book (technically '07 but much enjoyed in '08)
b'l'ing video trading
silver daggers at ooga booga
new york art book fair
publish and be damned in london
finally punk & the carrots
dj-ing at wildness
ida ekblad at the dark fair
irma thomas "sings"
art swap meet in joshua tree
tokyo in february
august in olympia
november 4, 2008
and now, on with 2K9!!!!
i.u.d. at the mandrake
silver daggers at ooga booga
abe vidoga at the smell
ladies-only sunday hike clubhttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif
david attenborough dvd watching
hot love swiss punk and wave book (technically '07 but much enjoyed in '08)
b'l'ing video trading
silver daggers at ooga booga
new york art book fair
publish and be damned in london
finally punk & the carrots
dj-ing at wildness
ida ekblad at the dark fair
irma thomas "sings"
art swap meet in joshua tree
tokyo in february
august in olympia
november 4, 2008
and now, on with 2K9!!!!
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Best of 2008 by Nadia Buyse
1. Obama....duh. BEST ROLE MODEL of '08
2. Choke the movie. I think it was the first time I've ever seen a movie based on a book where I liked the movie so much more. BEST MOVIE BASED ON A BOOK of '08
3. Explode into colors. best new band of '08 hands down. BEST BAND of '08
4. re release of The Rats by Mississippi records. People were so happy they were crying. BEST RECORD of '08
5. No Bra at Dunes. One word comes to mind: Majestic. BEST SHOW of '08
6. Paparazzi @ Pride in San Francisco, that Randy from Mon Cousin Belge is such a showy little queen! BEST OTHER SHOW of '08
7. Guidance Counselor EP. It was a pop miracle. BEST CDR GIVEN TO ME AT A SHOW of '08
8.The Orphanage. Hands down the scariest thing I've seen in years SCARIEST MOVIE of '08
9. Dramatic Chipmunk. I think i watched that like 20 times and still laugh when I see it. BEST ESOTERIC YOUTUBE.COM VIDEO of '08
10. Poppers... They made a big comeback. BEST 30 SECOND BUZZ of '08
Best of 2008 by Josh Bayer
Acme Novelty Library #19 by Chris Ware
Good Bye and Other Stories by Yoshihiro Tatsumi
AngryYouthComics#14 by Jonny Ryan
Raw Footage By Ice Cube
Necking's Black Flag set at Death By Audio in Brooklyn on New Yrs Eve
Evolution of A Cro-Magnon by John Joseph
Good Bye and Other Stories by Yoshihiro Tatsumi
AngryYouthComics#14 by Jonny Ryan
Raw Footage By Ice Cube
Necking's Black Flag set at Death By Audio in Brooklyn on New Yrs Eve
Evolution of A Cro-Magnon by John Joseph
Best of 2008 by Veronica Ortuño
-Personal achievement of the year: Making straight A's in school and mastering my drum skills
-Finally Punk winter tour in its entirety (GOD DAMN WE'RE BAD)
-the four closest friends in my life (you know who you are I hope)--you are my back bone and I love you with all I am and more. Honorable mention: Alex Carroccio and the Labiarynth homies, Ryan Carlile, Trish Sullivan (m'doggs).
-Musics of the year: The Chills; ironically enough, listening to Minor Threat after a night's binge drinking; Vivian Girls-s/t LP; Glenn Branca-The Ascension; Red Cross-s/t; Guided by Voices mixes; Malaria!; Swans; U.S. Girls-Introducing; Kate Bush-demos (most amazing shit...recorded when she was 15 years old?); Middle Class-Out of Vogue EP; Ludus; Chris Isaak; Girls At Our Best; Los Dug Dug's-Lost In My World; Cry Blood Apache-"Master of the Quarantine" and Northern Travelers EP; Sex Vid-Communal Living and Drugging 7"; Flux of Pink Indians-Neu Smell 7"; Earcom 3 7"; Gun Outfit-Demo; Nina Simone; Total Abuse (new songs that aren't recorded yet(??) blew my mind); Look Blue Go Purple; Robert Wyatt-At Last I am Free/Strange Fruit 7"; Grass Widow-demo tape
-Best show(s): The Fucked Up show at Beerland during SXSW where I forgot all words to "Year of the Pig", headbanged for 5 minutes instead and subsequently passed out ((standing up)) on stage the remaining 10 minutes because I took too many xanax/vicodin (actually, that's probably the worst show); punk shows in PDX; Sex Vid shows at Old School; Vivian Girls at the Backspace; Sex Vid/Finally Punk/Nodzzz/Brilliant Colors and Grass Widow (serious best SF girl bands) NYE show; Explode Into Colors at the Dekum Manor; U.S. Girls in Chicago; The Carrots in Oly/Seattle/New York/Austin; Cry Blood Apache playing with an aluminum trash can at the Whisky; The Sword at the Crystal Ballroom--chilling in the tour bus listening to Phil Anselmo talk rubbish. Big ups to B.Richie, hadn't seen my homie in FOUR YEARS!!!; Toody and Fred of Dead Moon getting interviewed for Soft Focus; the show I threw at the 501 Theater during SXSW marks pretty rad times too.
-Best movies/videos: MANSON documentary; The works of Kenneth Anger; Fire Walk With Me; Planet Earth; Flipper live target vid; Back to the Future; The Departed; Mask; revisiting "Summer Camp Nightmare" (omg); Harry Pussy "Live 1993-1997"; Mondo Vision (rad SF underground punk videozine); early Nirvana footage; Kraut Nacht compilation; The Smiths-Two Light Ales Please; Les Rallizes Denudes live in '77; Ladies and Gentlemen The Fabulous Stains; Bad Brains-Live at CBGB 1978; Suburban Lawns live at Chica-Go-Go
-Good reads: The Ripper zine---Lanie Fletcher is my favorite writer of the times; Layla Gibbon-Chimps/whatwewantisfree; Raymond Pettibon zine for Ooga Booga; Lexicon Devil; Sylvia Plath; Kurt Vonnegut
-Real time Scrabble/Online Scrabble; Dirty Harry pinball at Old School Pizzeria
-Portland related: Weekly karaoke at the Alibi; Goth night; Soul night; moss; Framboise Lamic / Franziskaner / a bottle of red wine; all of Portland's bridges and the "Made in Oregon" sign at night; skating to-and-from class / downside to skating anywhere---not having a partner EVER; moving into a beautiful house with rad roommates; chilling with my friends who came to town on tour etc.
-AUSTIN during Christmas Break; San Francisco YOU BLOW MY MIND
-Art related: Robert Longo's "Men in the Cities" series (1979); Linder!!!; Gerhard Richter; Peter Saville; Matt Lyons; Mikaylah Bowman; Lauren O'Connor and Jean Nagai
-Prudest year of the new millenium.
-Most hated thing of 2008: hippies. petiole.
-- 2009 -- YEAR -- OF -- THE -- OX -- will prevail
-Finally Punk winter tour in its entirety (GOD DAMN WE'RE BAD)
-the four closest friends in my life (you know who you are I hope)--you are my back bone and I love you with all I am and more. Honorable mention: Alex Carroccio and the Labiarynth homies, Ryan Carlile, Trish Sullivan (m'doggs).
-Musics of the year: The Chills; ironically enough, listening to Minor Threat after a night's binge drinking; Vivian Girls-s/t LP; Glenn Branca-The Ascension; Red Cross-s/t; Guided by Voices mixes; Malaria!; Swans; U.S. Girls-Introducing; Kate Bush-demos (most amazing shit...recorded when she was 15 years old?); Middle Class-Out of Vogue EP; Ludus; Chris Isaak; Girls At Our Best; Los Dug Dug's-Lost In My World; Cry Blood Apache-"Master of the Quarantine" and Northern Travelers EP; Sex Vid-Communal Living and Drugging 7"; Flux of Pink Indians-Neu Smell 7"; Earcom 3 7"; Gun Outfit-Demo; Nina Simone; Total Abuse (new songs that aren't recorded yet(??) blew my mind); Look Blue Go Purple; Robert Wyatt-At Last I am Free/Strange Fruit 7"; Grass Widow-demo tape
-Best show(s): The Fucked Up show at Beerland during SXSW where I forgot all words to "Year of the Pig", headbanged for 5 minutes instead and subsequently passed out ((standing up)) on stage the remaining 10 minutes because I took too many xanax/vicodin (actually, that's probably the worst show); punk shows in PDX; Sex Vid shows at Old School; Vivian Girls at the Backspace; Sex Vid/Finally Punk/Nodzzz/Brilliant Colors and Grass Widow (serious best SF girl bands) NYE show; Explode Into Colors at the Dekum Manor; U.S. Girls in Chicago; The Carrots in Oly/Seattle/New York/Austin; Cry Blood Apache playing with an aluminum trash can at the Whisky; The Sword at the Crystal Ballroom--chilling in the tour bus listening to Phil Anselmo talk rubbish. Big ups to B.Richie, hadn't seen my homie in FOUR YEARS!!!; Toody and Fred of Dead Moon getting interviewed for Soft Focus; the show I threw at the 501 Theater during SXSW marks pretty rad times too.
-Best movies/videos: MANSON documentary; The works of Kenneth Anger; Fire Walk With Me; Planet Earth; Flipper live target vid; Back to the Future; The Departed; Mask; revisiting "Summer Camp Nightmare" (omg); Harry Pussy "Live 1993-1997"; Mondo Vision (rad SF underground punk videozine); early Nirvana footage; Kraut Nacht compilation; The Smiths-Two Light Ales Please; Les Rallizes Denudes live in '77; Ladies and Gentlemen The Fabulous Stains; Bad Brains-Live at CBGB 1978; Suburban Lawns live at Chica-Go-Go
-Good reads: The Ripper zine---Lanie Fletcher is my favorite writer of the times; Layla Gibbon-Chimps/whatwewantisfree; Raymond Pettibon zine for Ooga Booga; Lexicon Devil; Sylvia Plath; Kurt Vonnegut
-Real time Scrabble/Online Scrabble; Dirty Harry pinball at Old School Pizzeria
-Portland related: Weekly karaoke at the Alibi; Goth night; Soul night; moss; Framboise Lamic / Franziskaner / a bottle of red wine; all of Portland's bridges and the "Made in Oregon" sign at night; skating to-and-from class / downside to skating anywhere---not having a partner EVER; moving into a beautiful house with rad roommates; chilling with my friends who came to town on tour etc.
-AUSTIN during Christmas Break; San Francisco YOU BLOW MY MIND
-Art related: Robert Longo's "Men in the Cities" series (1979); Linder!!!; Gerhard Richter; Peter Saville; Matt Lyons; Mikaylah Bowman; Lauren O'Connor and Jean Nagai
-Prudest year of the new millenium.
-Most hated thing of 2008: hippies. petiole.
-- 2009 -- YEAR -- OF -- THE -- OX -- will prevail
Best of 2008 by Victoria Yeulet
Mad men-Seasons one and two. One of the best things to happen in a long time.
In search of the blues- black voices, white visions Marybeth Hamilton
Finding a copy of the the book, previously unknown to me
'The bobbed haired bandit' in the cheap book shop and being blown away
Bettye Lavette for my birthday at Jazz Cafe
One of the best shows i've ever seen, her voice is still out of this world, her depth of emotional response to other writers songs just perfect
Chuck Berry's daughter playing harmonica with him, it was like watching fucking amazing spontaneous interaction
Cat Power- Jukebox and Hammersmith show
My dog, Bertha lee, turning one year old
Blind Willie Johnson Biography
Fern Jones- The glory Road
Fantastic issue of this great country gospel singer, with great liner notes, whos variety and depth was quite astounding, im really into this lady.
Congregation/ Holly Golightly and the Brokeoffs at the dirty water club
Mary J Blige-Growing Pains
Jon Slade turning 40 and Camber ATP
Broadstairs swimming in the sea
In search of the blues- black voices, white visions Marybeth Hamilton
Finding a copy of the the book, previously unknown to me
'The bobbed haired bandit' in the cheap book shop and being blown away
Bettye Lavette for my birthday at Jazz Cafe
One of the best shows i've ever seen, her voice is still out of this world, her depth of emotional response to other writers songs just perfect
Chuck Berry's daughter playing harmonica with him, it was like watching fucking amazing spontaneous interaction
Cat Power- Jukebox and Hammersmith show
My dog, Bertha lee, turning one year old
Blind Willie Johnson Biography
Fern Jones- The glory Road
Fantastic issue of this great country gospel singer, with great liner notes, whos variety and depth was quite astounding, im really into this lady.
Congregation/ Holly Golightly and the Brokeoffs at the dirty water club
Mary J Blige-Growing Pains
Jon Slade turning 40 and Camber ATP
Broadstairs swimming in the sea
Saturday, January 10, 2009
Best of 2008 by Kanako Wynkoop
Shows:
Mecca Normal literally IN the books to prisoners dollar bin.... Jean and David made and sold art to benefit BTP.. awesome!
Tara Tavi playing some crazy Chinese dolsamer and showing her movie about Chinese folk musicians next to the books to prisoners dollar bin.
Jesski Skyes and the Sweet Here After with Earth at the Eagle's Ballroom
Pussy Gutt at the Hall of the Woods
Spider and the Webs at the v hole, I was really bummed out before I went to this show, then the music and energy was so good that it totally made me feel better. I just closed my eyes and danced like a big geek with all the other geeks. It was cool.
Kimya in her back yard, I took my buddy anabel to the show, I give her drum/bass/guitar lessons and we huge out with half a dozen 13 year old punk girls and laughed a lot and felt really cool.
Son Skull and Surrender at a house show.
Punk Shows at Bike and Bike, volunteering there every fri night to help girls learn how to fix their bikes. Quitting when i got burned out (did it for over two years) and feeling okay about it.
sex vid, son skull, white boss at the Pizzeria.
playing in Layla's backyard with Sex Vid, Nodzz, Gun Outfit
playing for the herd of elk in La Push...i'm serious. we started playing and they all came out of the woods to hang out by the house while we jammed.
Other Stuff:
Reconnecting with my uncle Shozo after 10 years of estrangment, one of two people on my mom's side of family that is alive. He showed me the only picture of my mom that exsist when she was a child... I got all choked up when I saw it. wasn't expecting that.
Marching in Shelton against the I.C.E. raids. Telling the tweeker lady that was riding around us on her bike screaming "GO BACK TO MEXICO" to "GO BACK TO GERMANY" and her looking at me really confused then leaving us alone. YA BASTA!
Hamming it up with the Pro Choice Peoples at the Pro Life rally.
Critical Mass in SF (WHOA!)
hanging out at abandon houses
eating joshua plagues's left overs at his house is sacto
volunteering off the cuff at the Sacramento bike kitchen. The other mechanics draged out the drum set bike kit that was buried in the back shed for me to play on with the kids.
Riding my bicycle to San Fransisco to attend BIKE BIKE! a conference of collectively run bike shops.
Facilitating a workshop at Bike Bike about Gender Issues in the Bike Shop, having 60 people attend and feeling like everyone's voice was heard.
hanging with my homie Brezzy in SF, another 33 year old sagitarius radical small business owner. http://www.needles-pens.com/
Having a record released on parts unknown.
Starting a new band, Broken Water, with really good friends abby and jon.
helping to program for the Olympia Film Festival
wining 2nd place in the Olympia 72 hour film comp with p style (i knew all the judges...) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2-5ffeLiyr0
winning the 2000 dollar audience award at the Strangers Hump amature porno competition with a short about two lesbians arguing. (didn't know any of the 3600 audience members!) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LEsw-nrMX_0
books
My Guantanamo Diary by Mavish Rukhsana Khan
Mycelium Running, How Mushrooms Can Help Save the World By Paul Staments
Sorry Out of Gas, Architecture's Response to the 1973 Oil Crisis
Design Like you Give a Damn, Architectural Responses to Humanitarian Crises
The Book of Movie Photography by David Cheshire
2666 by Roberto Bolano
(still working on it...)
For Lesbians Only
A Separatist Anthology Edited by Sarah Lucia Hoagland and Julia Penelope
The Collective Tarot, a magical collaboration. By Lori Lawrence, Jackie Davis, Clio Sady, Sacha Marini, and Annie Murphy.
Mecca Normal literally IN the books to prisoners dollar bin.... Jean and David made and sold art to benefit BTP.. awesome!
Tara Tavi playing some crazy Chinese dolsamer and showing her movie about Chinese folk musicians next to the books to prisoners dollar bin.
Jesski Skyes and the Sweet Here After with Earth at the Eagle's Ballroom
Pussy Gutt at the Hall of the Woods
Spider and the Webs at the v hole, I was really bummed out before I went to this show, then the music and energy was so good that it totally made me feel better. I just closed my eyes and danced like a big geek with all the other geeks. It was cool.
Kimya in her back yard, I took my buddy anabel to the show, I give her drum/bass/guitar lessons and we huge out with half a dozen 13 year old punk girls and laughed a lot and felt really cool.
Son Skull and Surrender at a house show.
Punk Shows at Bike and Bike, volunteering there every fri night to help girls learn how to fix their bikes. Quitting when i got burned out (did it for over two years) and feeling okay about it.
sex vid, son skull, white boss at the Pizzeria.
playing in Layla's backyard with Sex Vid, Nodzz, Gun Outfit
playing for the herd of elk in La Push...i'm serious. we started playing and they all came out of the woods to hang out by the house while we jammed.
Other Stuff:
Reconnecting with my uncle Shozo after 10 years of estrangment, one of two people on my mom's side of family that is alive. He showed me the only picture of my mom that exsist when she was a child... I got all choked up when I saw it. wasn't expecting that.
Marching in Shelton against the I.C.E. raids. Telling the tweeker lady that was riding around us on her bike screaming "GO BACK TO MEXICO" to "GO BACK TO GERMANY" and her looking at me really confused then leaving us alone. YA BASTA!
Hamming it up with the Pro Choice Peoples at the Pro Life rally.
Critical Mass in SF (WHOA!)
hanging out at abandon houses
eating joshua plagues's left overs at his house is sacto
volunteering off the cuff at the Sacramento bike kitchen. The other mechanics draged out the drum set bike kit that was buried in the back shed for me to play on with the kids.
Riding my bicycle to San Fransisco to attend BIKE BIKE! a conference of collectively run bike shops.
Facilitating a workshop at Bike Bike about Gender Issues in the Bike Shop, having 60 people attend and feeling like everyone's voice was heard.
hanging with my homie Brezzy in SF, another 33 year old sagitarius radical small business owner. http://www.needles-pens.com/
Having a record released on parts unknown.
Starting a new band, Broken Water, with really good friends abby and jon.
helping to program for the Olympia Film Festival
wining 2nd place in the Olympia 72 hour film comp with p style (i knew all the judges...) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2-5ffeLiyr0
winning the 2000 dollar audience award at the Strangers Hump amature porno competition with a short about two lesbians arguing. (didn't know any of the 3600 audience members!) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LEsw-nrMX_0
books
My Guantanamo Diary by Mavish Rukhsana Khan
Mycelium Running, How Mushrooms Can Help Save the World By Paul Staments
Sorry Out of Gas, Architecture's Response to the 1973 Oil Crisis
Design Like you Give a Damn, Architectural Responses to Humanitarian Crises
The Book of Movie Photography by David Cheshire
2666 by Roberto Bolano
(still working on it...)
For Lesbians Only
A Separatist Anthology Edited by Sarah Lucia Hoagland and Julia Penelope
The Collective Tarot, a magical collaboration. By Lori Lawrence, Jackie Davis, Clio Sady, Sacha Marini, and Annie Murphy.
Best of 2008 by Judd Taylor
demos and tape releases:
Brilliant Colors
Gun Outfit
H.P.P.
Mens Interest
Mentally Challenged
Vile Gash
White Boss
7"
Carrots-Beverly + Doing Our Part
Catatonic Youth-Piss Scene
Finally Punk-Hypertension
Funerot-Stranded in Time
Gun Outfit-On the beach
Iron Age-The Way is Narrow
Mentally Challenged-Disappeared + Doctors Lawyers Cops and Priests
Obliteration-s/t
XYX-Sistema de Terminacion Sexual
LPs
Breathing Fire-Years of Lead
Broken Strings-s/t
Dead C-Secret Earth
Fucked Up-Chemistry of Common Life
Invasion-La Caza
Mind Eraser-Conscious/Unconscious
Nodzz-s/t
Nothing People-Anonymous
Sisters-Everybody
Total Abuse-s/t
Shows:
Carrots-at Old School Pizzeria
Dead C
Finally Punk/Brilliant Colors/Grass Widow/Nodzz/Sex Vid in SF on New Years Eve
Fucked Up-on Halloween in Toronto dressed in full steam attire
Gun Outfit/Sisters/Sex Vid in Layla's backyard:
Iron Age
Mind Eraser-in NYC, covering Void, with Sue singing
Son Skull
Total Abuse
White Boss
Art:
Lauren O'Connor
Dylan Sharp
Jean Nagai
Rueben Storey
Brilliant Colors
Gun Outfit
H.P.P.
Mens Interest
Mentally Challenged
Vile Gash
White Boss
7"
Carrots-Beverly + Doing Our Part
Catatonic Youth-Piss Scene
Finally Punk-Hypertension
Funerot-Stranded in Time
Gun Outfit-On the beach
Iron Age-The Way is Narrow
Mentally Challenged-Disappeared + Doctors Lawyers Cops and Priests
Obliteration-s/t
XYX-Sistema de Terminacion Sexual
LPs
Breathing Fire-Years of Lead
Broken Strings-s/t
Dead C-Secret Earth
Fucked Up-Chemistry of Common Life
Invasion-La Caza
Mind Eraser-Conscious/Unconscious
Nodzz-s/t
Nothing People-Anonymous
Sisters-Everybody
Total Abuse-s/t
Shows:
Carrots-at Old School Pizzeria
Dead C
Finally Punk/Brilliant Colors/Grass Widow/Nodzz/Sex Vid in SF on New Years Eve
Fucked Up-on Halloween in Toronto dressed in full steam attire
Gun Outfit/Sisters/Sex Vid in Layla's backyard:
Iron Age
Mind Eraser-in NYC, covering Void, with Sue singing
Son Skull
Total Abuse
White Boss
Art:
Lauren O'Connor
Dylan Sharp
Jean Nagai
Rueben Storey
Thursday, January 8, 2009
Best of 2008 by Mabel Damunt
Mabel Damunt plays in Hello Cuca!
I moved and I had to spend the first six months of the year without
any music player, so I think i'll keep listening to more records from
2008 this year. Anyway, some of my favourites records and shows were:
Lidia Damunt "En la Isla de las bufandas" + shows!
New Bloods "The Secret Life" and show at Ladyfest Madrid
Ladyfest Madrid in general and specially that Ana da Silva installation with Raincoats footage and excerpts of her notebooks
(when will we see more?)
Mary Weiss at Gruta 77, Madrif
Holly Golightly and the Brokeoffs at Galileo Galilei, Madrid
Hidrogenesse "Bestiola"
Edwyn Collins at Summercase fest
Birra y Perdiz parties at Fotomatón, Madrid
Finally Punk 7"
Vivian Girls "Tell the world"
Comet Gain "Broken Records Prayers" and "Love without lies" 7"
Cat Power "Jukebox"
Al Green and B-52's live
oops i forgot Wet Dog...so better like this:
Wet Dog "Enterprise Reversal"
I moved and I had to spend the first six months of the year without
any music player, so I think i'll keep listening to more records from
2008 this year. Anyway, some of my favourites records and shows were:
Lidia Damunt "En la Isla de las bufandas" + shows!
New Bloods "The Secret Life" and show at Ladyfest Madrid
Ladyfest Madrid in general and specially that Ana da Silva installation with Raincoats footage and excerpts of her notebooks
(when will we see more?)
Mary Weiss at Gruta 77, Madrif
Holly Golightly and the Brokeoffs at Galileo Galilei, Madrid
Hidrogenesse "Bestiola"
Edwyn Collins at Summercase fest
Birra y Perdiz parties at Fotomatón, Madrid
Finally Punk 7"
Vivian Girls "Tell the world"
Comet Gain "Broken Records Prayers" and "Love without lies" 7"
Cat Power "Jukebox"
Al Green and B-52's live
oops i forgot Wet Dog...so better like this:
Wet Dog "Enterprise Reversal"
Best of 2008 by Sara Peté
from the desk of ms. peté...
kristyn (winning lasses), looking like an exceptionally handsome roy orbison, and her friends covering rihanna's "umbrella" at the stonewall youth auction.
dr. quintard taylor, creator of blackpast.org, coming to the olympia library and discussing african-american history in washington state. his presentation included a slide of black panthers right here in olympia on the capitol steps in the 1960s (!!!), lots of civil rights movement photos taken in the nw, and a reminder that tumwater, wa was founded by a black pioneer.
also his book - from timbuktu to katrina: readings in african-american history.
mattilda bernstein sycamore reading from "so many ways to sleep badly" and thea hillman reading from "intersex: for lack of a better word" at the evergreen state college library.
comet gain - the record with "fists in my pockets" not sure when it came out but it was neurotically overplayed on the homefront by james during 2008 but i love it still.
discovering the song "saturday night in hickman county" by johnny cash.
erick lyle's reading at the library and the olympian publishing my review of his book "on the lower frequencies".
joshua ploeg's cooking demo and zine reading (along with 3 oly zinesters) at the library. this sweet program AND the olympia library's new (and already much loved) zine collection both happened in 2008 thanks to my rad co-worker and friend kelsey smith.
the trip to HONG KONG and remembering the word "bonkers" and knowing it's the only one that can so beautifully and succinctly describe it.
pierced arrows, november witch, c.o.c.o., and spider and the webs shows at the brotherhood.
the mona reels and the old haunts at rainy day on independent record store day and the hilarious quote from adam that the olympian ran after talking to him that day.
old haunts olympia basement show and the newest old haunts album.
saturday nights at the qb with the djs of the mason county wrecking crew.
election night
jane gardam's - the queen of the tambourine
"for i am the queen of the tambourine the cymbals and the bones"
-sunday nights with dj wildman
-the re-birth of the jigsaw underground
kristyn (winning lasses), looking like an exceptionally handsome roy orbison, and her friends covering rihanna's "umbrella" at the stonewall youth auction.
dr. quintard taylor, creator of blackpast.org, coming to the olympia library and discussing african-american history in washington state. his presentation included a slide of black panthers right here in olympia on the capitol steps in the 1960s (!!!), lots of civil rights movement photos taken in the nw, and a reminder that tumwater, wa was founded by a black pioneer.
also his book - from timbuktu to katrina: readings in african-american history.
mattilda bernstein sycamore reading from "so many ways to sleep badly" and thea hillman reading from "intersex: for lack of a better word" at the evergreen state college library.
comet gain - the record with "fists in my pockets" not sure when it came out but it was neurotically overplayed on the homefront by james during 2008 but i love it still.
discovering the song "saturday night in hickman county" by johnny cash.
erick lyle's reading at the library and the olympian publishing my review of his book "on the lower frequencies".
joshua ploeg's cooking demo and zine reading (along with 3 oly zinesters) at the library. this sweet program AND the olympia library's new (and already much loved) zine collection both happened in 2008 thanks to my rad co-worker and friend kelsey smith.
the trip to HONG KONG and remembering the word "bonkers" and knowing it's the only one that can so beautifully and succinctly describe it.
pierced arrows, november witch, c.o.c.o., and spider and the webs shows at the brotherhood.
the mona reels and the old haunts at rainy day on independent record store day and the hilarious quote from adam that the olympian ran after talking to him that day.
old haunts olympia basement show and the newest old haunts album.
saturday nights at the qb with the djs of the mason county wrecking crew.
election night
jane gardam's - the queen of the tambourine
"for i am the queen of the tambourine the cymbals and the bones"
-sunday nights with dj wildman
-the re-birth of the jigsaw underground
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
Best of 2008 by Calvin Johnson
Dear Tobi,
Here is a list of recordings from 2008 that are special.
Calvin
Nucular Aminals Nucular Aminals CS (Ick Ick)
Flexions "ExBoss" 45 (Forever Yours)
Jeffrey Lewis 12 Crass Songs LP (Rough Trade)
Vermillion Sands "Mary" 45 (Rijapov)
Ten Little Indians Ten Little Indians CS (Ick Ick)
Octagon Control Wang Copter 7" EP (Krazy Kieth)
Cap Pas Cap Not Not Is Fine 12" EP (Skinny Wolves)
Broken Strings Broken Strings LP (True Panther Sounds)
Wild Billy Childish and the Musicians of the British Empire "Thatcher's Children" 45 (Damaged Goods)
Mount Eerie with Julie Doiron and Fred Squire Lost Wisdom LP (P.W. Elverum & Sun)
The Vibrarians Get Out of Town! Cs (Ick Ick)
Lazer Crystal 12"
Quintron Too Thirsty 4 Love LP (Rhinestone)
Love Is All A Hundred Things Keep Me Up All Night LP (What's Your Rupture?)
Hooray for Humans "Already Sleeping" 45
Valet Naked Acid LP (Marriage)
Tyvek "Sidewalk" 45 (M'Lady)
Best of 2008 by Layla Gibbon
1-Becoming coordinator of Maximum Rocknroll. This is the main thing that happened to me this year. It's hard to explain how much work it involves and why I can't hang out that much anymore to my friends. It's basically two people running a business and putting together the content for a magazine each month, I am not super psyched on every issue I have worked on, but the last one, The punk in film issue was a definite high point. Having Black Flag/Target video, the drag queen performance troupe the Wasp Women and some Brazillian punks circa 1982 all on the same cover was pretty awesome... The nmovies contained within are all worth checking out. I wrote a column about the chicago punk one, which has great footage of End Result, a band formed by kids from the projects who walked in on a punk show in maybe 82, and decided to form a hardcore band with a bass and a saxaphone and guitar and no drums. That's hardcore. Also living in the same building as the record collection, being able to listen to Teddy and the Frat Girls and um some random Finnish hardcore from 81 I had never heard of til that second...
2-Silla Electrica Demo
Silla Electrica are from Spain and make the brattiest girl/boy punk imaginable, like the X record sped up times a million, totally desperate get used to it.
3-Trouble Coffee-bike rides out to the beach early in the morning when the fog is still covering the park. this coffee place only sells cinnamon toast and coffee, there's a stack of records and tapes and books, and random old junk like books about forgotten heroes of the michigan garage scene and riding boots and so on. riding my bike out to the ocean and out along it is my favorite thing I think.
4-Billy Childish and the MBE-Thatcher's children 7". total fury and disgust and so catchy and right on on all fronts, subject matter, sound, intent.
5-Lebenden Toten live at Thrillhouse, crammed in a basement while Chanel's insane vocals and the total noise destruction are all consuming and the show's over too soon and i was even in the pit, which I don;t think has happened since GRUNGE.
6-Sex Vid are my favorite band, miscreant hardcore style. The way and the truth.
7-brilliant colors tape, perfect mix of post punk and shop assistants, jess' vocals are dreamy and tough.
8-Billy Bao-from Spain via nigeria, the sound of rock music collapsing in on itself, angry shitbag sounds for mutant times.
9-getting to interview Raymond Pettibon at his house (thanks wendy!) and also Sharon Cheslow too, both were inspiring for different reasons... i have to figure out my interview technique, I think I am too goofy.
10-Death-this just got reissued by Drag City, classic sounding proto punk from Detroit circa 74, three African American's making perfect freedom sounds, I don;t know how to describe it but it's kind of classic rock sounding but then the song politicians in my eyes is not only proto punk but also um proto HR vocal style...
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
Best of 2008 by Justin Trosper
not so sure its THE BEST of 2008 (and it might have happened in 2007 or 6):
The Grand Canyon. I went to the GC with my class at Evergreen to study geomorphology, natural history, channeling Ed Abbey, etc. dude it was awesome!
Toumani Diabaté "The Mande Variations" African harp (kora). this is one of those albums that people call stunning and breathtaking. I guess it is and you don't even have to be a world music nerd like me.
Studying Haiku
Ross Lake/North Cascades canoe trip with Sarah. I did this same trip in the same canoe 25 years ago with my dad. Ospreys, box wine, alpine views, trout fishing, etc.
Metallica "death magnetic" its better than anything slayer or metallica have done for many years but not as good as anything pre-90's. especially if you block out the lyrics, there are killer solos and riffs.
Robert Wyatt "Comicopera" I probably put this on my list last year.
"No Picnic on Mount Kenya" -Felice Benuzzi. My favorite summer read. Italian POWS during WW 2 escape so they can climb a mountain. Totally absurd and true.
"Pilgrim at Tinker Creek"--Annie Dillard, my other favorite summer read. Like if Patti Smith was Thoreau.
"Life on Earth" with David Attenborough
Spending much of the summer cleaning up trash and giving people directions around Mt St Helens.
"Dictionary of Word Roots and Combining Forms" Donald J Borror. If you're into science...
Beginning my snowboarding career at age 36 with bruised ribs.
Another year in Kamilche, WA with my S.O. and animal friends
Tomas Transtromer-swedish poet
I also enjoyed non-specifically: Wu-Tang, Teddy Pendergrass, Bee Gees (disco), Mastodon, Selda, Mitch Hedberg, Look Around You, socks, the world atlas, IPA, red wine with dinner, tequila on DJ nights.
The Grand Canyon. I went to the GC with my class at Evergreen to study geomorphology, natural history, channeling Ed Abbey, etc. dude it was awesome!
Toumani Diabaté "The Mande Variations" African harp (kora). this is one of those albums that people call stunning and breathtaking. I guess it is and you don't even have to be a world music nerd like me.
Studying Haiku
Ross Lake/North Cascades canoe trip with Sarah. I did this same trip in the same canoe 25 years ago with my dad. Ospreys, box wine, alpine views, trout fishing, etc.
Metallica "death magnetic" its better than anything slayer or metallica have done for many years but not as good as anything pre-90's. especially if you block out the lyrics, there are killer solos and riffs.
Robert Wyatt "Comicopera" I probably put this on my list last year.
"No Picnic on Mount Kenya" -Felice Benuzzi. My favorite summer read. Italian POWS during WW 2 escape so they can climb a mountain. Totally absurd and true.
"Pilgrim at Tinker Creek"--Annie Dillard, my other favorite summer read. Like if Patti Smith was Thoreau.
"Life on Earth" with David Attenborough
Spending much of the summer cleaning up trash and giving people directions around Mt St Helens.
"Dictionary of Word Roots and Combining Forms" Donald J Borror. If you're into science...
Beginning my snowboarding career at age 36 with bruised ribs.
Another year in Kamilche, WA with my S.O. and animal friends
Tomas Transtromer-swedish poet
I also enjoyed non-specifically: Wu-Tang, Teddy Pendergrass, Bee Gees (disco), Mastodon, Selda, Mitch Hedberg, Look Around You, socks, the world atlas, IPA, red wine with dinner, tequila on DJ nights.
Best of 2008 by Marissa Magic
11. finishing Deep Suburbia, getting mega positive response from it (I
guess people never call to be like "yr. zine
suuuuuuucccccckkkkeeeeddd", whatever) and even getting mentioned on
Bull Tongue (I think they fucking called me a genius!)!
2. writing more and more for MRR (and hanging out more), because I
really like those punks and it kind of blows my mind to have such a
gigantic world wide audience for all my semi-radical rants
3. realizing I really want to be a librarian, basically I've felt
weird and out of place for the majority of my working life except for
that chunk of time at KRS/5RC, and then I got my childhood dream job
of working at the Exploratorium as a library assistant (I'm on call,
wish they'd call me more) and suddenly realized getting paid to work
in a room full of information I have full access to with super smart
librarians is kind of amazing
4. finally landing myself in an all girl punk band, though short
lived, I got to open for some bands I really love and respect and that
blow my mind, our best show by far was playing at million fishes, an
all ages gallery thing in the mission, where all of our friends were
flipping out dancing in the front. Or maybe the best show we played
was the dude warehouse in Oakland where when we loaded in and it was
like "where the fuck are we?" and then we mega ripped shit up, at the
end I said "most triumphant"
5. starting a new-as-yet-unnamed band with Amelia, Dave and Corrine,
playing a house show a week after our first practice, not clearing the
room, and everyone describing it as "a surf-y early sonic youth" It's
the music I've always wanted to play!
these shows:
1. sex vid, sisters, nodzzz, and gun outfit in laylas backyard
(everyone was like whoooaaa! girl in the pit!)
2. purple rhinestone eagle at million fishes (never liked the
recordings, blew my fucking mind live)
3. new bloods, grass widow at the bike kitchen (actually, grass widow
in general)
4. boredoms at the fillmore (yoshimi drumming for 2 HOURS STRAIGHT.)
5. night wounds at the mansion (fucking shit up, got hit in the head
with a bass guitar)
5. nu sensae at the mansion (yeah, until the cops came and shined
their cop light on us)
6. carrots at the knockout (hottest day of the year. You walked in and
would be instantly damp. All the texans were like "wait, it's hot?")
7. u.s. girls at the hemlock (usually I don't like when people just
sit and sing at you, but something about it is the saddest sound on
earth)
9. explode into colors at some hair salon (I swear it's like an army
on horses coming over the hill to fuck you up)
10. old haunts at thrillhouse (their old records spent a lot of time
on my turntable this summer, the old ones just because I don't have
the new one yet)
some records:
1. nu sensae 12" (grrrrruuuuuuuunnnnnggggggeeeee)
2. vivian girls - wild eyes 7" (it's kind of sweet but totally full of danger)
3. modern creatures - thick thick black 7" (new/no wave, bedroom dance)
4. new bloods - secret life (this band kills me everytime)
5. vapid - do the earthquake 7" (I love girl scream rave-ups)
6. grass widow tape (pretty much my favorite local band)
7. u.s. girls - introducing (it's like neil young but a girl fuzzed
out alone in her room)
8. explode into colors tape (ok, I haven't actually heard it but I
know I'm getting one, I know I'm going to like it, and it happened in
2008)
9. free kitten - inherit (FREE FUCKING KITTEN!!!!!!!)
10. mutators - secret life (#1 girl screamer.)
Monday, January 5, 2009
Best of 2008 by Carlos Cañedo
13. The NY GROOVE, R.I.P.
12. Summer
11. My shrink
10. Jesse Helms' death - ...finally. Too bad he couldn't have drowned, or bled to death from having his balls cut off.
9. Quebec City, July 2008 - Performing in a Tango show in the middle of a torrential downpour to 50 - of an expected 3,000 - people.
8. ESPN - Because without the diversion of a 24-hour sports station, I would probably be... well, worse off. So, YAY SPORTS! (I would probably put this one higher on the list if I wasn't embarrassed to).
7. Moving to the West Village - Sure, it's full of douchebags and tourists, and is an empty cultural shell of what it once was. But I wouldn't want to live anywhere else.
6. DJing @ SWAY
5. Fernandez Fierro @ Joe's Pub - A Tango orchestra from Buenos Aires. Fucking amazing and vital in a tango music scene that has no fucking idea how to evolve with any honesty, originality or class. Listen to their music and love it.
4. GOLDEN ERROR - From BKLN. They give me faith that people can still play good punk rock and still make me wanna go to a show that me or my good friends aren't playing.
3. Roberto Reis and Guillermina Quiroga dancing together again. They are my teachers and they hadn't performed together in like 7 years. But they are the best Tango couple ever. Regardless of what your friends say. Their professfional careers together is another example of why you shouldn't get involved with your dance partner...
2. The Last game at YANKEE STADIUM - Batting practice, crying when Bernie Williams came out in the pregame ceremony, crying again when Mariano Rivera came out to pitch the 9th, and, 90 minutes after the game, being one of the last people to leave Yankee Stadium, having the Stadium to myself for a short moment.
1. The citizens of the United States of America - for collectively electing a non-white man into the White House. While we are all aware (I hope) that replacing your car's upholstery won't make your engine run any better, I'm hoping that maybe, just maybe [emphatic repetition] Americans are becoming aware that the car needs a GOOD FUCKING OVERHAUL!
Best of 2008 by Donna Dresch
woman
iphone
honor society certificate
perfect circle "emotive" cd that came out a few years ago but i just discovered.
true blood
toaster that cooks an egg
learning how to use my camera for real.
bat for lashes show at the doug fir
polarkries 18
arcticblast08 constant news coverage
autodesk Maya 2008
crockpot
Best of 2008 by Chris Pugmire
Random Reasons Why 2008 Was Great In No Particular Order:
Randomly running into old Seattle friends Casey Wescott AND Jherek Bischoff and Nick Tamburro on a Melbourne rooftop on New Year's Eve. To see beautiful familiar NW faces right before the clock struck 12 strikes me as an especially good omen for 2009.
Townes. My boy is awesome, I hope non-Australian friends all get a chance to meet him soon because he is completely amazing and beautiful and after a whole year with him I can't fathom anymore without.
Mel. Mel is one of those secret headspin psychedelic moments from Sizzlement or Fuck Yr Heart, a secret weapon, a dragon mother (and dragons are the best mothers), a subharmonic sandwich island, an infinitely expanding universe, a walking library of sandbooks, a dacha on the shore of an invisible lake...
Getting to see Nas and Kanye. I really wanted to go to this show but it was way too many $. Luckily the night before the show two people from the tour came in and I traded them a book for two guest list spots! Nas played everything you'd wanna hear and I'm not a huge Kanye fan but he was intense!
Romy. Romy is a genius and is going to take over the world.
Rohan. The fluttering fills give me chills.
Fabulous Diamonds. Best band in Australia.
Finally getting to see Rowland S Howard play and also the forthcoming record!
Joker @ Laundry. This 19 year old kid from Bristol completely broke my brain and I think the bass rearranged my DNA.
Polyester Books. While I will never be able to stomach perhaps 1/20th of the store's content, I still admire Paul's efforts to provide a working space for freedom of speech (in a country that while tolerant of freedom of speech does not officially recognize it) and expression. And to enjoy the freedom to create my own space within that to share ideas I believe in or feel should be available to the public. Look for books on anarchism, gender, music, fiction, etc. that you won't find anywhere else in Australia!
Nikolai Kluyev, a poet who makes me forget that I hate poetry. And Osip Mandestam as well.
Tasmanian Devil Park in Tasmania. These animals are a trip to Trippersville if you ever get to see them in the flesh, and they're going extinct. They give new meaning to the word "beast".
Simon's theory on the true identity of the Comte de Lautreamont.
Visitors from abroad. You're like carbon sinks, I could drinks the space you allow for oxygens, friends.
Pulp Intensives at the Jesse Jackson Shepherd Household.
La. See above.
Weird local live music in general, there's a lot more than I'd think or see.
Beach house, the house. And the beach. And making peace with shark fear.
Republicans down in flames, tho I predict Obama will be another Clinton, for Dems are forever wolves in sheep's clothing.
Books: Nikolai Kluyev Poems, Australian Pubs (photohistory), the Fatal Shore, the Five Percenters, the Shock Doctrine, the Enchanted Wanderer, Blackwater, Ezra Pound: the Last Rower, and a bunch of others I can't remember.
That weird grunge party where they were playing techno or something.
Mustaches in November.
Some other things!
Cheers to everyone in 2009, may you be safe, creative and puzzle solving.
Sunday, January 4, 2009
Best of 2008 by Chris Sutton
2008 was a year of change and adjustment for me on a lot of personal levels so I decided to have my top 10 to be more of an internal observation of the events of the year. It was a roller coaster for sure but here are the highlights (In no particular order).
1)Appearing on MTV-This was the actualization of one of my all time dreams since I was a child. My introduction to the world of The Gossip was a performance for a series of commercials which appeared on MTV. It was one of my mothers proudest moments for me. I think she was more excited than I was, and I was overwhelmed.
2)Release of New Bloods "Secret Life"-The moment that I saw this band play in my basement they were not only one of my favorite bands, but they became a sort of surrogate family for me when I moved to Portland. Being a black punk myself our bond became instant and seemingly necessary in my personal development. To share their trajectory from basement heroines to a full fledged feminist powerhouse and then releasing what was perhaps the album of the year last year was an experience I'll remember forever. Friends for life.
3)Patriots and Giants Super Bowl game-Football is spiritual experience for me. I have followed the game extremely closely since I've been a teenager and I've witnessed many awe inspiring athletic feats (which is the one of the main attractions). This being said, the final quarter of play in last year's Super Bowl was the best example of professional football that I have ever witnessed. The final drive by the Giants with just over 2 minutes to play and down by 4 points against a team that had not lost a game all year was fodder for classic David vs. Goliath mythology. So much drama, like a few 3rd downs and a stressful 4th down conversion as time ticked down. The entire offense was involved and virtually every reciever contributed at least one catch with the final one by Plaxico Burress coming with about 20 seconds left. When it was over I realized that I hadn't sat down for about a half hour.
4)Election celebration at the on Killingsworth St. Obama center-The only thing I ever say about that night to anybody is that it was like everyone of every race and creed had just won the lottery and they were all best friends. There was such a release of positive energy and relief and for at least 1 hour there seemed to be utopia. The corner of Killingsworth and 15th broke out into a crazy dance party and I even saw a couple of policemen taking sips of champagne. Awesome.
5)My Bloody Valentine in Ireland-One of the most enriching sonic experiences I have ever felt. They unleashed a 15 minute drone finale featured a stunning light show and was so loud and intense that I saw a couple people pass out and several people get increasingly angry. This was one of those bands that I thought I might never see so it was very cool to be able to experience that.
6)Art Basel in Miami-Completely inspiring on so many levels. To able to see the best artists of the world and their art convening in one place was so charging and I left there in very good spirits. I recommend this festival to everyone who is interested in visual art.
7)Magic Johnson-Ana and Mondo are punks from L.A. They came to Portland to start a band. They succeeded. They spent 08 becoming one the most exciting bands in Portland. It was inspiring to see.
8)Lebron James vs. Paul Pierce in NBA playoffs-I don't really like The Celtics very much but I understand why they are the best team in the NBA. However the most exciting player in any sport that I have ever seen is Lebron James from the Cleveland Cavaliers. He is an atomic warrior riding a comet when he has the basketball and he is not even in the prime of his career! The mighty Paul Pierce stood up to the challenge and this epic matchup pushed its way to seven great games. Unfortunately my personal favorite didn't win this time around but it was very exciting to see.
9)Billy Childish and MBE@ The Dirty Water Club in London-I had seen The Headcoats play before in the same place when I was on tour a while back in Dub Narcotic and it blew my mind in all directions so I knew what I was in for when I was invited to this show on the first day of my european tour. Billy is much older these days but he emits such a compassionate energy and wise stoicism in his performance. It was great to see the master up close plus Thee Headcoats did a second set where all of the members switched instruments and jammed for another hour!
10)Full Moon in the Eiffel Tower-Ok this one a personal one. I was playing a show in Paris and I was going through a lot of personal turmoil at the time and not totally enjoying myself. The rest of the band decided to party into the night but I wasn't able to lift my spirits to join them. Late into the night I decided to take a walk into the Parisian streets to absorb the architectural beauty and visit the Eiffel Tower, which I had seen but never actually visited. I walked under its giant base and looked straight up. What I saw was a perfectly framed full moon shining brightly into my eyes. It was a subtly amazing moment that brought me to the epiphany that everything is going to be all right and I am exactly where I need to be in my life. That may seem cheesy but it was exactly what I needed. Thanks 2008!
Best of 2008 by Jean Smith
The things that make 2008 significant
1. David and I Spontaneously creating artwork to auction off for Books to Prisoners when we heard we'd be playing in the $1 Books to Prisoners clothing bin at Dumpster Values in Olympia, Washington.
2. Getting out the bike I bought years ago at an opera society rummage sale. Riding to work and the gym -- not far, not fast, but fun and sometimes scary. A bike guy in spandex and helmet coming up the hill near the WISE Hall telling me "Go fast. Go fast. Just let go." Me, hands clenched, brakes squealing, saying. "No! No! No!" Pulling over at the baseball diamond, using my kickstand, and eating Chinese dumplings out of a Tupperware container, thinking -- life doesn't get any better than this.
3. The Silver Party's kudos on http://www.myspace.com/jeansmith blog where, to me, a kudo is an acknowledgement of the writer / reader dynamic. A kudo (don't like this word any more than blog or hiatus) doesn't interfere the way a comment can. A kudo is a mug of warm milk to the comment's dropped carton of skim pooling at my feet.
4. Playing guitar with Duane and having Singapore noodles, bbq pork and won ton soup at Happy King. http://www.myspace.com/jeanduane
5. Maintaining my blog as a place to put work -- in fact, creating and completing work because I have a place to put it -- stories, films, songs, paintings, poems and the work behind booking a tour, which I decided to make transparent, to demystify, by posting itineraries and communication with booking people and helpful D-I-Y enthusiasts. Posting the details of the booking process also created a sense of accountability for me. There are lots of good reasons not to go on tour, but they just don't wash in the big picture. Appreciating very helpful responses from clubs who have booked us for our April tour in the USA.
6. Becoming pen pals with Lenny Kaye who commented -- "I have not been able to get beyond your solo album, play it over and over again... truly mesmerizing".
7. Mecca Normal -- my ongoing music, art, political and literary adventure with my excellent creative partner David Lester. Twenty-five years intending to inspire, instigate, inform, amuse and agitate in the underground.
8, New Mecca Normal songs about war protester Malachi Richter and One Man's Anger -- understanding that sometimes anger is pain and the fear of pain. http://www.myspace.com/meccanormal
9. J Free of Sonic Archives -- recorded two Mecca Normal shows, made CDs and sent them to us along with many collected recordings including a live version of I Walk Alone from SF in 1994. Turning this and many other songs into short films.
http://www.myspace.com/jean_smith_films
10. Walking and running to work at The Store where good conversations happen with customers and co-workers. Learning about eco-friendly clothing -- bamboo, hemp, organic cotton and soy. The Store is closing at the end of February due to the economy. I will be unemployed, focusing on Mecca Normal -- recording and touring with "How Art & Music Can Change the World" http://howartandmusiccanchangetheworld.blogspot.com which we've been presenting for about five years in classrooms (university, art school and high school), art galleries and book stores. We intend inspire audiences towards self-expression, encouraging them to consider political content in their work as opposed to the concerns of status and money. Basically we set up an art show -- or use PowerPoint -- and we start by introducing ourselves, explaining why we maintain our creative partnership in its many forms -- what motivates us. David talks about the long history of art in social protest. We speak about each others artwork -- David's use of text in his poster series Inspired Agitators and my abstract expressionism -- a balance to the word-based lyric and novel content I create. At about the twenty minute mark we do three or four songs pertaining to what we have been discussing. We continue discussing the various political ideas we bring into our work -- women's rights, poverty, war protest -- relating the issues to our own experiences. We wrap it up with a few more songs. The updated version of the event includes a vision to convince the populace that it is necessary to protest and create conditions that are favourable to support the work Obama is faced with -- otherwise, without support in the form of popular protest and activism, the right wing will rip him to shreds. People must, state by state, community by community be ready to participate as activists rather than sitting back to see what Obama does.
11. Christmas morning -- 4 a.m. -- I started booking the April 2009 tour and got responses right away, including a confirmation for "How Art & Music Can Change the World" at Bluestockings Books -- a feminist book store in NYC,
12. December 30, 2008 -- dinner and a fine conversation with an old friend about world affairs, inspiration, Howard Zinn, political and cultural activism and how to take the opportunity to encourage progressive social change. http://howardzinn.org/
"Why would I believe a politician?" -- Howard Zinn
"We must not have war any more." -- Howard Zinn
"The American people want health care, more like Canada's." -- Howard Zinn
13. Noticing how natural acoustics of rooms impact energy, thinking, mood and willingness to converse. The Store creaks and clomps, all wooden and warm. Understanding more about memory and history -- wild things that resist being captured.
14. August. Deciding to not go forward with a man who met my requirements as stated in my online profile. Handsome guy, my age, six feet tall. Thin, muscular body -- nice hair. A non-drinking condo-dweller with a car. No pets, no roommates. He was into weirdo-music and punk rock -- he'd heard of Mecca Normal !!!! He was a hiker, a painter, a short story writer, a filmmaker learning to play guitar. He wanted to find a partner, but he projected all his wanting and finding stuff onto me. We were, as far as he was concerned, in a relationship from the moment we set eyes on each other. I kept telling him to slow down, but he didn't see why. Week three he said we'd been together a month and I had to tell him it had only been three weeks -- it was a relentless escalation of relationship. When I said I needed to stop, I was accused of destroying his fantasy -- he got angry with me for ruining everything, but he apologized and said all the right things and promised to slow down and off we went again, but, soon enough, the end arrived. Why didn't I jump at the chance to be with a good looking guy who was into what I'm into? He listened to me talk about writing, offered ideas. He was super attentive, regularly dropping to his knees to profess his adoration, telling me how much he appreciated my body and my mind and my sense of humour and my clothes -- telling me how beautiful I am. He couldn't stop kissing me. But he represented someone willfully misunderstanding me, actively refusing to know me, in favour of pounding into my life with a box called 'relationship' for me to climb into. Which, as a way to approach life, is the essence of the insanity.
15. David donating royalties from his book The Gruesome Acts of Capitalism, in my name, to the Centre for Victims of Torture in Toronto.
1. David and I Spontaneously creating artwork to auction off for Books to Prisoners when we heard we'd be playing in the $1 Books to Prisoners clothing bin at Dumpster Values in Olympia, Washington.
2. Getting out the bike I bought years ago at an opera society rummage sale. Riding to work and the gym -- not far, not fast, but fun and sometimes scary. A bike guy in spandex and helmet coming up the hill near the WISE Hall telling me "Go fast. Go fast. Just let go." Me, hands clenched, brakes squealing, saying. "No! No! No!" Pulling over at the baseball diamond, using my kickstand, and eating Chinese dumplings out of a Tupperware container, thinking -- life doesn't get any better than this.
3. The Silver Party's kudos on http://www.myspace.com/jeansmith blog where, to me, a kudo is an acknowledgement of the writer / reader dynamic. A kudo (don't like this word any more than blog or hiatus) doesn't interfere the way a comment can. A kudo is a mug of warm milk to the comment's dropped carton of skim pooling at my feet.
4. Playing guitar with Duane and having Singapore noodles, bbq pork and won ton soup at Happy King. http://www.myspace.com/jeanduane
5. Maintaining my blog as a place to put work -- in fact, creating and completing work because I have a place to put it -- stories, films, songs, paintings, poems and the work behind booking a tour, which I decided to make transparent, to demystify, by posting itineraries and communication with booking people and helpful D-I-Y enthusiasts. Posting the details of the booking process also created a sense of accountability for me. There are lots of good reasons not to go on tour, but they just don't wash in the big picture. Appreciating very helpful responses from clubs who have booked us for our April tour in the USA.
6. Becoming pen pals with Lenny Kaye who commented -- "I have not been able to get beyond your solo album, play it over and over again... truly mesmerizing".
7. Mecca Normal -- my ongoing music, art, political and literary adventure with my excellent creative partner David Lester. Twenty-five years intending to inspire, instigate, inform, amuse and agitate in the underground.
8, New Mecca Normal songs about war protester Malachi Richter and One Man's Anger -- understanding that sometimes anger is pain and the fear of pain. http://www.myspace.com/meccanormal
9. J Free of Sonic Archives -- recorded two Mecca Normal shows, made CDs and sent them to us along with many collected recordings including a live version of I Walk Alone from SF in 1994. Turning this and many other songs into short films.
http://www.myspace.com/jean_smith_films
10. Walking and running to work at The Store where good conversations happen with customers and co-workers. Learning about eco-friendly clothing -- bamboo, hemp, organic cotton and soy. The Store is closing at the end of February due to the economy. I will be unemployed, focusing on Mecca Normal -- recording and touring with "How Art & Music Can Change the World" http://howartandmusiccanchangetheworld.blogspot.com which we've been presenting for about five years in classrooms (university, art school and high school), art galleries and book stores. We intend inspire audiences towards self-expression, encouraging them to consider political content in their work as opposed to the concerns of status and money. Basically we set up an art show -- or use PowerPoint -- and we start by introducing ourselves, explaining why we maintain our creative partnership in its many forms -- what motivates us. David talks about the long history of art in social protest. We speak about each others artwork -- David's use of text in his poster series Inspired Agitators and my abstract expressionism -- a balance to the word-based lyric and novel content I create. At about the twenty minute mark we do three or four songs pertaining to what we have been discussing. We continue discussing the various political ideas we bring into our work -- women's rights, poverty, war protest -- relating the issues to our own experiences. We wrap it up with a few more songs. The updated version of the event includes a vision to convince the populace that it is necessary to protest and create conditions that are favourable to support the work Obama is faced with -- otherwise, without support in the form of popular protest and activism, the right wing will rip him to shreds. People must, state by state, community by community be ready to participate as activists rather than sitting back to see what Obama does.
11. Christmas morning -- 4 a.m. -- I started booking the April 2009 tour and got responses right away, including a confirmation for "How Art & Music Can Change the World" at Bluestockings Books -- a feminist book store in NYC,
12. December 30, 2008 -- dinner and a fine conversation with an old friend about world affairs, inspiration, Howard Zinn, political and cultural activism and how to take the opportunity to encourage progressive social change. http://howardzinn.org/
"Why would I believe a politician?" -- Howard Zinn
"We must not have war any more." -- Howard Zinn
"The American people want health care, more like Canada's." -- Howard Zinn
13. Noticing how natural acoustics of rooms impact energy, thinking, mood and willingness to converse. The Store creaks and clomps, all wooden and warm. Understanding more about memory and history -- wild things that resist being captured.
14. August. Deciding to not go forward with a man who met my requirements as stated in my online profile. Handsome guy, my age, six feet tall. Thin, muscular body -- nice hair. A non-drinking condo-dweller with a car. No pets, no roommates. He was into weirdo-music and punk rock -- he'd heard of Mecca Normal !!!! He was a hiker, a painter, a short story writer, a filmmaker learning to play guitar. He wanted to find a partner, but he projected all his wanting and finding stuff onto me. We were, as far as he was concerned, in a relationship from the moment we set eyes on each other. I kept telling him to slow down, but he didn't see why. Week three he said we'd been together a month and I had to tell him it had only been three weeks -- it was a relentless escalation of relationship. When I said I needed to stop, I was accused of destroying his fantasy -- he got angry with me for ruining everything, but he apologized and said all the right things and promised to slow down and off we went again, but, soon enough, the end arrived. Why didn't I jump at the chance to be with a good looking guy who was into what I'm into? He listened to me talk about writing, offered ideas. He was super attentive, regularly dropping to his knees to profess his adoration, telling me how much he appreciated my body and my mind and my sense of humour and my clothes -- telling me how beautiful I am. He couldn't stop kissing me. But he represented someone willfully misunderstanding me, actively refusing to know me, in favour of pounding into my life with a box called 'relationship' for me to climb into. Which, as a way to approach life, is the essence of the insanity.
15. David donating royalties from his book The Gruesome Acts of Capitalism, in my name, to the Centre for Victims of Torture in Toronto.
Saturday, January 3, 2009
Best of 2008 by Jessica Espeleta
my fav things that happened in '08 in no particular order
1. wreckless eric & amy rigby at weird tiny bar in east LA
2. breakfast with wreckless eric & amy rigby in chicago
3. all siltbreeze releases (sic alps, eat skull, pink reason, psychedelic horseshit)
4. josh fadem falling down for 30 minutes show at ucb theater hollywood
5. human eye show @ redwoods downtown LA
6. fancy space people & loto ball show @ the echo LA
7. jimi hendrix impersonator doing foxy lady on hollywood blvd
8. playing & touring with devon williams and getting to see destroyer play every night
9. playing & touring with bart davenport
10. baby dee show in kansas city
11. the new old haunts record
12. pierced arrows @ spaceland
13. arthur russell documentary
14. playing in stiff tribute band @ the silent movie theater
15. being on the set of yo gabba gabba during the earthquake
16. benji from sydney
17. pylon @ the echoplex LA
18. cat power, spiritualized, nick cave @ hollywood bowl
19. van morrison performing astral weeks @ hollywood bowl
20. playing in & experiencing 88 boadrum @ la brea tar pits
21. sparks-exotic creatures of the deep
22. sprigs of time comp on honest jon's
23. discovering more brit com like the it crowd, black books, look around you
1. wreckless eric & amy rigby at weird tiny bar in east LA
2. breakfast with wreckless eric & amy rigby in chicago
3. all siltbreeze releases (sic alps, eat skull, pink reason, psychedelic horseshit)
4. josh fadem falling down for 30 minutes show at ucb theater hollywood
5. human eye show @ redwoods downtown LA
6. fancy space people & loto ball show @ the echo LA
7. jimi hendrix impersonator doing foxy lady on hollywood blvd
8. playing & touring with devon williams and getting to see destroyer play every night
9. playing & touring with bart davenport
10. baby dee show in kansas city
11. the new old haunts record
12. pierced arrows @ spaceland
13. arthur russell documentary
14. playing in stiff tribute band @ the silent movie theater
15. being on the set of yo gabba gabba during the earthquake
16. benji from sydney
17. pylon @ the echoplex LA
18. cat power, spiritualized, nick cave @ hollywood bowl
19. van morrison performing astral weeks @ hollywood bowl
20. playing in & experiencing 88 boadrum @ la brea tar pits
21. sparks-exotic creatures of the deep
22. sprigs of time comp on honest jon's
23. discovering more brit com like the it crowd, black books, look around you
Friday, January 2, 2009
Best of 2008: by Al Larsen
The Pocket Guide to Feminism by Cypress Marrs and Eli Mack-Hardiman
GirlCity.tv launch party at Carnegie Art Center
videos by Duke and Battersby esp. Songs of Praise for the Heart Beyond Cure
Rust Belt Books on Christmas Eve
The Wealth of Networks by Yochai Benkler
Lucky Dragons, Oliver and Your Heart Breaks at What the Heck Fest
The Bumpidee Reader
Seditions Editions
Against the Grain (radio show)
Sugar City, Buffalo ReUse, PUSH & Buffalo Blue Bikes!!!
GirlCity.tv launch party at Carnegie Art Center
videos by Duke and Battersby esp. Songs of Praise for the Heart Beyond Cure
Rust Belt Books on Christmas Eve
The Wealth of Networks by Yochai Benkler
Lucky Dragons, Oliver and Your Heart Breaks at What the Heck Fest
The Bumpidee Reader
Seditions Editions
Against the Grain (radio show)
Sugar City, Buffalo ReUse, PUSH & Buffalo Blue Bikes!!!
Best of 2008: by Rachel Evans and Steve Dore
1.West Norwood Library
2. Sphixes of Crystal Palace
3. Leonard Cohen at the O2 (including boatride)
4. Sic Alps - U.S E.Z
5. Bookseller Crow
6. Stylophones
7. Do It - Clinic
8. American Apparel Bras
9. Cold War Modern 1945-1970 Exhibition at the V&A
10. Comet Gain playing at the Blue Last, London
11. The writings of Elaine Dundy
12. Will Bouton's Pagan Wedding
13. Saul Steinburg Exhibition
14. New Leaf, the movie
15. Benito's Hat Restaurant
16. Aspnall cider
17. The writing of Robert Walser
18. The Wire - Season 5
19. Paris Review Interviews - Volume 1
20. Jigsaw - The Movie
21. Amsterdam
22. The End of Capitalism ( hopefully)
23. The brillance of Oyster cards, London Buses and the Underground system.
24. The Angel Pub
25. Obama rama
Thursday, January 1, 2009
Best of 2008: Molly Neuman
Las Charades
From Madrid. Awesome girl pop in the vein of Tiger Trap sung in
Spanish. I saw them play in Barcelona in January and their show was
oddly reminiscent of Tiger Trap too. Their album is out on Bcore and
is totally great.
http://www.myspace.com/lascharades
http://www.bcoredisc.com/
Delorean
Ok, my love of Delorean is well documented on my website, but ths year
they have gotten so smart. They started throwing parties with their
friends (mainly DJ K*O) all over Spain called DESPARRAME where
sometimes they play and sometimes they don't and have even gone to
Moscow to have them there! The parties are a mix of DJ sets and live
sets and are totally incredible dance experiences. Hopefully they'll
come to the U.S. with them in 2009. Check out their blog for mixes you
can download and their funny Spanish posts about new tracks they love.
They've also been doing lots of remixes of Teenagers, Big Pink,
Lemonade and more. They are all awesome, but I'm just desperate for
new Delorean songs.
http://desparrameeeee.blogspot.com/
http://www.myspace.com/deloreandanz
Cooking School
In September I began the Chef's Training Program at the Natural
Gourmet Institute. It's a part time program teaching cooking
techniques and theory of health supportive cooking. I go Wednesday
nights and all day Saturday. It's intense but also intensely
wonderful. I've learned a ton of practical information on how to be a
fundamentally better cook through proper preparation, but I've also
learned so much about ingredients (sugar, fat, soy, corn) and
nutrition, it's really mind blowing. I'm working on an essay for my
friends with some of what I've learned distilled into an intelligible
document. Look for that soon!
http://www.naturalgourmetschool.com/
http://www.naturalgourmetschool.com/html/chefs-training.html
Traveling in Central America
In the last 4 years I've had the luck to have been able to travel to
almost all the countries in Central America. So far I've been to Costa
Rica (2X), Honduras, Guatemala, Mexico and Nicaragua. Every time I go
somewhere in Central America I feel like I learn more about myself
than I had planned. I feel guilty about my carbon footprint but I also
feel like it reminds me that there is so much to know about other
places and so much more to appreciate than what we're taught in school
or could learn on our own in books. In 2009 I'm hoping I'll be able
to actively work towards a different kind of connection, less tourist,
more vehicle for assistance. More on that as it happens I'm sure.
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