Art + Architecture + Design
Music
David Bowie’s High Line Tickets on Sale Friday, March 30
Mar 28th
I’ve been a Bowie fan for years (who hasn’t?) but I have to wonder what he was thinking when he added Laurie Anderson to the line-up of this otherwise fantastic sounding festival. It’s beyond me, but like Dave J said of TS Eliot, "I suppose every author (or whatever Anderson is) has a fan or two."
If anyone out there wants to buy me Ricky Gervais tickets…
From the promoters:
The H&M High Line Festival is a new multi-discipline arts festival that will be curated each year by a different artist. The inaugural edition, curated by David Bowie, will run May 9 to 19, 2007.
The ten-day mash-up of music, film, comedy, visual art and performance will highlight all of David’s favorite artists. The best of the best.
The inaugural 10-day festival will take place in venues near the High Line, the elevated rail structure soon to open as a public open space, running through the Meatpacking District, West Chelsea and Clinton/HellÕs Kitchen. A portion of each ticket sale will go to benefit Friends of the High Line, the 501(c)3 organization currently working with the City of New York to transform the 1930Õs rail structure into a park, set to open in 2008.
Please Note: none of the events of the High Line Festival will take place on the High Line itself.
via BuzzFeed
Perfect From Now On: John Sellers on Indie Rock
Mar 23rd
We are always interested in how critics and other like-minded folk attempt to contextualize slippery cultural objects like painting, television, quilts, and music, so this afternoon we will be picking up a copy of John Sellers’ "Perfect From Now On". Has anyone knocked this off their list yet? If so, do share…
From Eric J Lawrence @ KCRW: "Spring has sprung, and while that might incline you to start thinking about outdoor activities, here are a few literary reasons to keep you in your favorite reading chair at least until beach weather. “Perfect From Now On” is a cheeky memoir from journalist John Sellers about his discovery of 90s-era indie rock. Despite a shameful lack of appreciation for The Fall, Sellers writes charmingly about his obsessions, especially as he describes his encounter with Guided By Voices during their farewell tour."
Dylan Symposium: Highway 61 Revisited @ University of Minnesota
Mar 21st
"It’s not like we need to go all the way to Minnesota in order to hang out with a bunch of Dylan geeks and pass our time analyzing the various themes in the great one’s work. (That’s what Saturday nights are for). However, the upcoming Dylan-centric symposium Highway 61 Revisited: Dylan’s Road from Minnesota to the World, which takes place March 24-27 at the University of Minnesota, does sound enticing. We like the idea of using unabashedly high-minded academic language in our already omnipresent inner (and outer) dialogue with the world about Dylan’s artistry and social/political/musical influence. (You can tell that sentence is smart because it’s wordy and long)."
via Rolling Stone
No one Belongs Here More Than You by Miranda July
Mar 12th
Miranda July’s new book, No one Belongs Here More Than You gets some celebrity kudos from David Byrne:
I had recently read her book of collected short stories which is due out in about a month — No one Belongs Here More Than You — which are so good I was both inspired and jealous. Why jealous, I don’t know, I don’t aspire to write fiction. They are sweet, tender, innovative and sexy in a sometimes slightly disturbing way. It’s almost shocking to read or see — as in the case of the performance — something that is contemporary, post-modern, whatever, but also full of tenderness and appreciation for the subtle, funny and delicate connections between people.
Realtime Censorship: NWA’s F*** The Police for your Kids
Mar 7th
"A dad sings NWA’s Fuck The Police to his young son using some creative realtime censorship. "’Cause he’ll tickle you ’til you’re giggling." (via the grumpiest)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FkYDxW30vS4
via kottke.org
Gilbert and Sullivan’s “Baby Got Back” feat. Sir Mix-A-Lot
Mar 7th
"Creator Michael Hightower sums up this spirited work up tidily on his Web site: "The advent of time warp technology offered to Knights of the British Empire has allowed this uniquely satisfying look at Sirs Gilbert and Sullivan’s re-envisioning of fellow Sir Mix-A-Lot’s Baby Got Back. O! What a joy it is for us to hear these three titans working in concert for the first time, and hopefully not the last." Indeed!"
via SALON
Brian Ritchie responds to the Wendy’s Violent Femmes Rape
Mar 2nd
I grew up listening and singing along to the Violent Femmes like many of you and I nearly did a spit-take when I hear "Blister in the Sun" in that Wendy’s commercial too [what do hamburgers have to do with getting juiced and masturbating...I guess that sort of answers itself]. But my long-dormant teen outrage came oozing up from my lizard brain and I cursed the band and it’s Capitalist capitulations. Turns out Femmes publisher Gordon Gano was behind the move, not the band. Sorry, sorry, sorry…
Salem’s Lots posted its own outrage at the sellout of the Violent Femmes upon hearing the classic "Blister in the Sun" used in a Wendy’s commercial. It turns out Gordon Gano, publisher, sold them out, according to the incomparable Brian Ritchie:
For the fans who rightfully are complaining about the Wendy’s burger advertisement featuring Blister in the Sun. Gordon Gano is the publisher of the song and Warners is the record company. When they agree to use it there’s nothing the rest of the band can do about it, because we don’t own the song or the recording. That’s showbiz. Therefore when you see dubious or in this case disgusting uses of our music you can thank the greed, insensitivity and poor taste of Gordon Gano. It is his karma that he lost his songwriting ability many years ago, probably due to
his own lack of self-respect as his willingness to prostitute our songs demonstrates. Neither Gordon (vegetarian) nor me (gourmet) eat garbage like Wendy’s burgers. I can’t endorse them because I disagree with corporate food on culinary, political,
health, economic and environmental grounds. However I see my life’s work trivialized at the hands of my business partner over and over again, although I have raised my objections numerous times. As disgusted as you are I am moreso.
Sincerely,
Brian Ritchie
Roger Dickies [aka Heavyhandz] @ The Vanguard, Hollywood. 2/28/07
Feb 23rd
For all the information about the event, visit Headinghome Recordings:
Goes from 9.30pm – 2.30am The Vanguard – 6021 Hollywood Bl., Hollywood RSVP to a $5.00 list to this address headinghomersvp@yahoo.com The $5.00 list closes at 11pm, so get there early!
One of our favorite LA artists, director of the GCC Art Gallery, and kick-ass DJ, Roger Dickies–aka Heavyhandz–is throwing a bash to celebrate the release of his new 12" vinyl EP "Classique Roq Returns" Get samples here.
The Melancholy Fit Shall Fall
Feb 23rd
I’ve been in a cello mood lately. Perhaps it’s the weather forcast. Perhaps the cold that’s going around. Or maybe the fact that I’ve come to terms with not going to NYC for the Armory party [sorry Stac]. Poor me…
"“But when the melancholy fit shall fall / Sudden from heaven like a weeping cloud, / That fosters the droop-headed flowers all, / And hides the green hill in an April shroud; / Then glut thy sorrow on a morning rose." — John Keats
Regardless, here is the lovely and talented Jacqueline Du Pré performing the 1st movement of the Elgar Cello Concerto. Enjoy…
Paris is the Anti-Berlin
Feb 15th
Great article in Sign and Sight about the expat scenes in Paris and Berlin, or rather, Paris vs. Berlin.
"France is in the process of creating an anti-Berlin. Or rather, Paris and Versailles are creating this, for a hint of hipness rarely survives the trip out to the suburbs. The world’s writers and artists are drawn to Berlin where the old Baudelaire maxim still holds that beauty today is bizarre (in other words ugly) or interesting and dirty. Music, fashion and film are drawn to Paris, to pursue their work in freedom and impeccable style in front of perfect facades."
For the Francophiles in the house, this seems like the time to make your move…
via signandsight
February 26th, 2007 at 4:21 pm