Some Scandinavian Sounds

Have you had one of those moments where you notice something peculiar about a space and you think to yourself - someone should play music there. This thought crosses my mind usually when I pass by some peculiar place like an enclosed back alley, or a roundabout, or some area that has not been tread upon in quite awhile.

In the spirit of the Take Away Shows and the Black Cab Sessions the Handheld Shows and The Tram Sessions are getting artists out of the studio and off the stage and into the streets. There is something about how the sound and the energy change when the performance takes place in a less traditional space. Perhaps its the unexpected moments that make it more tangible. The spontaneity of it all makes it special.

The selections I have for you today are -

St. Vincent, out of Brooklyn. Those of you familiar with lost may notice Mark Pellegrino harmonizing. and...

#22.1 St.Vincent - Marry Me from Handheld Shows on Vimeo.

Gothenburg's Kultiration which blend the styles of Roots Reggae, Jazz, and Swedish folk music. These Swedes have got soul.

Troubling the Water

"FLOOD is an experimental narrative film about a journey down a river in the midst of ongoing economic and ecological collapse. The film tells the story of a group of friends who, driven by dreams, desperation, and a sense of adventure, decide to build a boat out of scrap material. As they begin to build more people gather at the river, assembling vessels out of the trash that surrounds them. Inspired, but uncertain, they set out down the river to make a new life for themselves. The film was shot amidst the artist Swoon’s 2008 Swimming Cities of Switchback Sea project, in which seven homespun boats were built and crewed by an eclectic group of artists and performers. The boats floated down the Hudson River staging performances in towns along the way". The folks from Fall Harbor and Dark Dark Dark, who crewed some of the vessels from Swimming Cities, are responsible for what seems to be a promising story. It is scheduled for release in 2010. More info can be found here:

Swimming Cities of Switchback Sea

Swimming Cities of Serenissima

FLOOD TEASER from flood movie on Vimeo.

Nona Marie Invie of Dark Dark Dark sins "I'll take these rosy cheeks of mine and be headed out/ I'll take these rosy cheeks of mine and be headed South/ 'Cause I've got two hundred dollar bills of mine, to be headed out/ I think I'll get as far as New Orleans to be swallowed whole" In some ways her words capture the mood of director Benh Zeitlin's and the Court 13 collectives' Glory At Sea. This story draws upon the sense of New Orleans in the wake of Katrina. Elements of Orpheus trying to return to his lost Eurydice float throughout this fable as well. You can view it here:

Glory At Sea

A Primer on Music and Temporary Areas

A friend once told me that La Blogotheque is an "institution en France." La Blogo's importance lies within the Concerts à Emporter/ Take Away Shows series and its goals. Part of this project attempts to transform spaces into temporary autonomous zones (TAZ) – removing the distance between artist and audience, removing the bright lights and amplifiers – coming back to small-scale intimacy. This is emphasized by the filmic approach of Vincent Moon, saturated colors and the tell-tale white block lettering announce his touch. He films in one continuous shot, allowing for the generosity of photography to tell the truth in capturing the sideways stares, the crying child, the homeless, the lovers holding hands & etc. Understand then, that these videos attempt to renew human relations by returning to a more simple organic level of performance.

Related video blogs:

Black Cab Sessions

Hooves on the turf

Handheld Shows

Other projects of Vincent Moon:

Fiume Nights

Temporary Areas

#64.1 - Beirut - Nantes
par lablogotheque

A Few Random Musings

I was reading an article in Newsweek by Malcolm Jones titled "Everything is Illuminated". The author expresses nervous-excitement and at points fear for a renewed comics series titled Classics Illustrated. He writes about the difficulty of reviving something classic and the attempt to make it as good as the original (Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull anyone) Upon finishing reading this article one idea Jones raised remained with me:

"...Might we say that a truly great novel or movie or play is one that so thoroughly works its way into our culture that we forget who created it in the first place? Are these not ultimately the most potent stories, the ones that belong to everyone, and no one? It's about as close as we get to myth these days" (Malcolm Jones, "Everything Is  Illuminated", Newsweek, March 2008, 60)

I wonder how we could apply this sentiment to film and piracy? That is a discussion for later. When I read this I think of the oral tradition and political theorist Danielle S. Allen. If you have never heard of her, in a nut-shell-she is brilliant. She has TWO Ph.Ds one in Classics and the other in Political Science, and she's super young! Danielle delivered a lecture at my school pursuing the answer to the question, "Can A Democracy Be Wise?". It covered a plethora of problems in contemporary American society. Raising questions such as: 

• Can democratic citizens know enough to govern themselves well? 
• Is a regime capable of circulating knowledge of habits quickly and widely enough to make sure info gets to the right place at the right time? 
• Why are we bad at learning about foreign places? 

She began with a critique on our current "regime" and finally concluded with our education system. Proposing a revival of standard "old-fashioned education in rhetoric". I know this is brief but the lecture was long. In the future I will write an entry just about her lecture if you are genuinely interested.

So what does this all mean? Well, with an old-fashioned training in rhetoric one can see through self interest affected arguments and consequently be able to guide oneself through society. I would like to call your attention to the idea of training in rhetoric and the oral tradition. I returned home from my first year of college for the summer and my friends keep asking me to tell them stories. Stories which I am happy to supply, if I can conjure them from the depths of my memory. I strongly encourage you to go out and seek out ways to revive the oral tradition in this electronic age (Yes, I do see the irony in this circumstance. But then again, perhaps this is what piracy attempts to do?). There is nothing as important as our oral tradition. If you think you are on AIM too often or Facebook too much, take a break and call some one. Go out and be productive. Gather your friends around, in the park, around a fire, sip some tea, and read aloud. The Brother's Grimm, D'Aulaires Book of Greek Myths, The Green/Blue/Orange/Yellow/etc. Fairy Book collection, Herodotus: The Histories, Ovid: Metamorphoses, Immortal Poems from the English Language, folk tales, myths ,legends, and any other tall-tales you may know make for great fun! If you are really up to the challenge try reciting one from memory or creating your own! For these stories will nourish your mind's eye, what I would argue the most powerful tool to date.

 

Heed Jones sentiment though, understand the difficulty of reviving something lost. Classics Illustrated attempted this feat from 1941 till 1971. It vanished for a while and now people are attempting to bring it back to life. Realize that its success is minor in comparison to the refusal to let it be forgotten. Which segways into the importance of the written... 

This is the time machine that some friends of mine built for RF2k8. Sadly it caught on fire; I wish I could say it was from zipping through the aeons soo fast.

The Journey Begins

 The big thought that got it all started was, "Why Not?" and *POOF* here it is! I like the concept of being able to shoot my thoughts and ideas out into the big world. Please let me know what you think of them. I suppose this is the part where I  tell you a little bit about myself. I'll start with my interests. 

 I have become very fond of architecture and photography recently. Art and design are constants for me. I enjoy music, stories of all sorts, and most importantly the imagination. I suppose thats enough for one night. I'm excited to follow this new road and see where it leads. Thanks for dropping in.