Constant Onslaught

palimpsest: a parchment or the like from which writing has been partially or completely erased to make room for another text.

For me, this also means anything that has had left its mark,or better yet, an impression.

Not only that, but what you are looking at above is some bad ass work By Julie Mehretu currently on display at WCMA (pronounced WICK-MUH). I love this idea and how Julie showcasing all the layers beneath layers beneath layers. My favorite thing about this work is how you can see the older identities of these structures, remain intact through out the renovation, for an interesting juxtaposition of old and new.

The idea of palimpsest is one that lends itself all across the board. Especially with music. The palimpsest itself, might be attributed to genre, and even instrumentation in some cases. But with the whole phenomena of the “mash-ups” getting onto most if not all of the places in the blogosphere, I think it is refreshing to clearly see a broad range of sources compile into one flowing song.

Although for some it is understandably annoying to have the same source material repeated over and over. (i.e. this guy and his hatred towards Pachelbel)

Aside from that, the refreshing new source material I was talking about is…

M.I.A.

(In addition to sick beats.. she’s pretty hot)

20 Dollar

(Sorry I felt that was really really necessary)

It sneaks up on you. Oh yes it does.

I love M.I.A. because its a mind fucking/road trip. It takes you along for a ride regardless of if you enjoy or not, and even if you get a little nauseous on the way there, you’re GOING to enjoy it.

Not only do you have M.I.A. being ridiculous as usual, but you have the main progression from New Order’s Blue Monday, AND the chorus from the Pixies classic( and no doubt seminal); Where is my Mind? How you could you say no to any of that?

Moving on…

As easy as it is,

I think a really good example of this palimpsest idea in the film world, goes to PULP FICTION

the evidence of this palimpsest is added as a nice touch to this otherwise very nonlinear structure of a plot. You can see traces of elements ( added on later much more clearly)appearing in the scenes. Whenever this happens- which is a lot- you get a great sense of closure, as everything makes much more sense. (espeically wtih the outfits that Vincenet and Jules wear) I feel like the more and more you watch, the more and more you notice.

And as an added feature, tarantino has all the winks, nods, and “know-what-i-mean(s)” throughout all of the movies, as he has a couple steady ties… (think Red Apple Cigarettes)

On the poetry side. There is a poem by W.S. Merwin

“Now Renting”

Nobody remembers
the original site
of course
what was there to remember

somebody nobody remembers
wanted a little building
nobody knows why

on the original site
and cleared it
no doubt
had to

later somebody
wanted a little
more space
and set up a scaffold

around the first building
and built the walls higher
and then tore down
the scaffold

then in time somebody
put up more scaffolding
and tore down
the whole building

and dug a hole in the original site
and put up a bigger
building and tore

down the scaffolding
to the accompaniment
of music announcing
a golden age.

but somebody with vision
soon put more scaffolding
on top of the building
and raised the whole structure

even higher than before
and tore down the scaffolding
but a while after that
somebody put up more scaffolding
with glass pictures on it

all the way up
of a glass building
never built
on that site

with nobody
inside it
at all the windows
to see the motionless clouds
.

Merwin is of course notorious for no punctuation, so sorry if that was hard to follow.

Either way we have the literal description and the aesthetic one in which the text is shaped to form a building going up and down and up again.

It’s important to know that the sky is motionless at the end because as much as man changes with the palimpsest ridden landscape, the natural world is not affected, at least in this circumstance..

trying to imagine what I will leave behind, aside from empty beer cans and dvd cases.

Jordan

I swear to God I’ve been thinking about this blog. Like when I’d hike to my babysitting job every morning until that stint ended this past Thursday. I would have tried to write a post at the house where I’ve been babysitting, but once when I sat at the computer glued to Etsy for 20 minutes, the toddler I watched had gotten into the baby powder and poofed it all over the upstairs, in mommy and daddy’s room. Okay, so there’s my summer in a nutshell. Sorry, I felt the need to explain myself. Also, I’m hoping that if I ramble a little, I’ll remember at least one of the dozen or so ideas that have been floating through my head…nothing’s coming…

I have to second Jordan’s Scarlet bashing. Who the hell does she think she is, covering Tom Waits? And what is with these hipsters buying into it? If you actually like music, you would just buy some Tom Waits albums and actually enjoy his music the way it’s meant to sound- the jagged, gravelly voice of a deranged pianist, not some actress singing from the bottom of a tin can, or a toilet. There’s a reason they had Scarlet singing karaoke in Lost in Translation. It was karaoke. She isn’t a real singer. Get over it.

I guess I’m only partially surprised that the album hasn’t flopped completely. Scarlet is Woody Allen’s new muse, apparently. And before that, she starred in the aforementioned Lost in Translation, so she had that working in her favor.

(Unless we mention The Perfect Score…but I guess hipsters forgive her?)

Honestly, the carelessness of indie music is starting to bother some people (i.e. my boyfriend, Alex, who argued with me about the state of indie music for 45 minutes the other night). I figured that I could segue way into this since I think it’s safe to say that Scarlet is not a classically-trained singer, unless we map her progress from Obama’s “Yes We Can” video in which she made an appearance. But I digress…

Position 1: I stumbled upon MGMT and The Black Kids recently. I don’t really think it’s music to live your life by, but I think it’s fun to dance to.

Position 2: Alex thinks that this careless attitude has started to infiltrate a lot of the music that is a part of the whole indie genre, and that it instills this sort of hipster attitude in you if you listen to it.

I agree with Alex’s first point in his position, not only because I understand that Alex comes from a musician’s perspective (he goes to school for Music Therapy, with a concentration in guitar), but because I can honestly say that there isn’t a hell of a lot of spectacular talent in a lot of indie genre bands. I used to like Tilly and the Wall, and it’s still a fun idea, but the only thing setting them apart at all is, well, tap-dancing. This whole shouting thing on the other thing, a la Black Kids “DANCE, DANCE, DANCE, DANCE!” has become sort of a trademark (at least in what I’ve heard) and annoyingly non-musical.

But! I am not inclined to go around wearing day glo kerchiefs and sweatbands screaming “DANCE, DANCE, DANCE, DANCE!” to people on the street. I like to think that my musical taste has some integrity. (Hence preferring Tom Waits, to backtrack a little bit. I’m not trying to toot my own horn here because I would hope that everyone would prefer Tom Waits). But c’mon, I worshipped Zeppelin when I was eleven!!!

I don’t even know, guys. I’m still confused about the exact definitions of the indie genre. I know that indie (as in on independent labels, THE WAY IT WAS ORIGINALLY INTENDED) artists should be set apart not only for innovation, but for their talent (in my opinion, Joanna Newsom, Cocorosie, Deerhoof, Neutral Milk Hotel). Obviously, you can argue my tastes. I’m just a confused, artsy little gal who is attracted to the indie movement, but frustrated by its definitions. I won’t even really get into the other aspects of the indie movement, like fashion (BIRD TATTOOS, BIRD TATTOOS, BIRD TATTOOS) and the minimalist (silhouetted) artwork

that keeps showing up as prints or on shirts (that makes my panties a little wet). I’m just gonna end this by saying that, you can’t entirely define a culture when you’re in the midst of it, and it’s still going on. Do you really think people would have worn leggings and headbands in the 80s if they had actually thought about or understood the culture of the time?

Oops.

So just some scattered thoughts today dear readers. Mainly this will be about how offended and opposed I am to the Scarlett Johannsen CD entitled “Anywhere I Lay My Head”. STAY AWAY. Even with the collaboraters that this cd has to offer, ( Dave Sitek from TVOTR, Nick Zinner from Yeah Yeah Yeah’s, and David Freakin’ Bowie) Scarlett’s sour, garbeled, intepretation of what pitch should be CANNOT compete with Tom Waits’s glorious growl. And all the critics that I until recently trusted are drooling at the sight of this cd. (Notice I said sight, and not what was/is heard).

Even Scarlet’ herself has said the cd is a homage to Tom Waits, this is important to known considering these are not covers, as I hear more of this cd, I will rant more on this post. But so far, falling down is atrocious. The most sour chorus I have heard, with a lot of dissonance. Granted Tom Waits hasn’t exactly been known to have standard singing with his raspy voice, but nonetheless you can feel his passion with all of his music. You can easily hear how deeply he is into it.  Scarlett’s lackluster, nonchalant approach, takes these songs, to lows they haven’t seen before. Just because you are good looking, doesn’t mean you can be a singer Scarlet…

Funny graphic coming soon..

You all have been warned,

Jordan

Man, it has been an intense couple of weeks so far at my internship, but it’s been a lot of fun.

I have new stuff to talk about, in spite of the fact of how tired I am.

Get ready for awesomeness…

Anselm Keifer awesomeness that is!.

so so good.

This is from his “… Narrow are the Vessels” instillation at my museum. This specific one is titled.” Let the Earth Be Opened and Send Forth a Savior”( referencing the resurrection of christ in Isaiah 45:8). His art conveys a lot of religious, themes. This is due to his own involvement as a post-war german (literally born a couple days after the third reich). This painting shows, hope and renewal with the flowers, in an otherwise landscape full of doom. The mere size of this piece alone is more then enough to leave you awestruck (9 by 25 feet) Highly recommend checking this out.

This will be weird but watch what happens next.

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You know that feeling you get when something is wrapped up so perfectly, that you are left a wordless jumbled mass of emotion? That’s one of the feeling that I love. I’m pretty sure I’m not the only one either. As the year winds down, I thought a post on closure would be a good way to sum things up. Recently, I watched a movie that has this vast sense of closure where not only is the viewer left at piece with the film, but with a lot more.

Ingmar Bergman, FTW.

In an astonishingly funny, and uplifting Smiles of A Summer Night, Bergman explores basically his take on a romantic comedy. His typical cerebral, and deeply philosophical exploits that we have seen in Seventh Seal are still here, however now they are shown in a different light. Any time a character has those deeper thoughts, he / she just gets made fun of by another character. It is apparent here that the Seminal Swede can do light, funny films. This is the inspiration for Woody Allen’s Midsummer’s Night Sex Comedy, except, much much better. A high recommendation for the feel-good fanatics.

Check out this shit right here.

Les Savy Fav just dropped a live album!

They do an awesome cover of “Everybody’s Gotta Live” by Love, as the ending song. They only way this would be cooler is if it had Arthur Lee came out and done it, but, granted, that’s kind of impossible. Either way love this fucking song. Also, noteworthy performance of the lowest bitter, off The Fav’s newest cd.

Bernadette Mayer!

One of my fave’s.

Great great stuff here, This poem takes you through everything, when there is nowhere to go. It makes you warm when everything is cold, it gives you security even though your against the odds.

god I just want a hug afterward.

The way to keep going in Antarctica

Be strong Bernadette
Nobody will ever know
I came here for a reason
Perhaps there is a life here
Of not being afraid of your own heart beating
Do not be afraid of your own heart beating
Look at very small things with your eyes
& stay warm
Nothing outside can cure you but everything’s outside
There is great shame for the world in knowing
You may have gone this far
Perhaps this is why you love the presence of other people so much
Perhaps this is why you wait so impatiently
You have nothing more to teach
Until there is no more panic at the knowledge of your own
real existence
& then only special childish laughter to be shown
& no more lies no more
Not to find you no
More coming back & more returning
Southern journey
Small things & not my own debris
Something to fight against
& we are all very fluent about ourselves
Our own ideas of food, a Wild sauce
There’s not much point in its being over: but we do not speak them:
I had written: “the man who sewed his soles back on his feet”
And then i panicked most at the sound of what the wind could do
to me
if i crawled back to the house, two feet give no position, if
the branches cracked over my head & their threatening me,if I
covered my face with beer & sweated till you returned
If i suffered what else could I do

Buy her books!!!!!!!

Jordan signing out,

But i will issue a challenge to any readers.

Go figure out what Smile of the night you are.

Have the start of a good summer!

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Sometimes I just look at the page, and it hurts me to see the same thing over again.
Granted it’s finals week so y’all will have to deal…
Uh let me think.

Let me remember…

MEMORY!!!

Movie to watch about memory.

Beautiful debut by Dir. Sarah Polley, touching and tragic as it is funny and inspiring.

A story about Grant and Fiona, and how they have to deal with Alzheimer’s in their love life. Great visual metaphors in the beginning as well. It takes you to the the emotional highs and lows of the characters and let’s you feel what they feel.

I wanted to do a related string post like I normally do, but fuck it, i’m lazy.

I just went to see I’m From Barclonea this week, and it was so so so happy, it was like o’d'ing on sunshine, or some shit like that. Think of the lamest happy thing you can think of and magnify it by 40 million times…

Moral of the story, go see them live if you can!

Great company, fun show.

One more image for ya… much more to come over summer, come one see me if your in the MA (north adams area).

P.S. If this was blog was a job, A) it would be awesome B) I’d be like written up or fired.

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Horrible resolution aside, The Acid House Kings, took Belle and Sebastian’s indie-rock utopian feel almost to a point of exploitation. There single that I currently can’t get out of my head right now, Tonight is Forever feels like your witnessing karaoke in the seventies, and you much like the Michael Jackson song reminiscent of that era, don’t stop ’til you get enough. Yea, that’s right, I said it. This song forces you into the simultaneous head bobbing that you see in those lame ass car commercials, but in the end, you’re okay with that. So sing along with the acid house kings and bust out those puffy shirts and dive in.

Oh yea, TWEE= chiefly British : affectedly or excessively dainty, delicate, cute, or quaint (such a theme might sound twee or corny)

that is there genre, we all can thank Merriam Webster for this later.

movie continuation after break.

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Ah, depression.

How long have we known each other? I feel like by highlighting my favorite depressing art, that I could move that much further away from you.

Ok, enough personification let’s get down to business. There is a certain kind of depression that I can accept, more than likely this is due to the fact that there is a huge sense of closure that comes with this depression; to elaborate, I’m left with nothing, and I want nothing to comfort me.

A nearly perfect embodiment of this kind of depression is…

my god… the horror.

First off, being that this movie is teamed with an unbelievably depressing string accompaniment by The Kronos Quartet, shout-outs are in order… woot!

Aside from that though, the movie is a gripping, and necessary view of addiction in a lot of its forms and the downfalls that come from that. Aronofsky, perfects this distance you feel with all the characters by utilizing many of the technical tricks he has up his sleeves like the uber quick jump cuts, used to dehumanize the characters, and his wonderful work with split-screen to show that all though Harry and Marion, appear physically entwined, there is clearly something between them. Check out my favorite review of this movie from Ain’t it cool news here.

Like I said, although the Kronos Quarter is AMAZING with this soundtrack, it is not my favorite, ” left with nothing wanting nothing to comfort me” music goes to…

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Literally, this shit is falling into my lap. Random occurances lead to associations lead to stuff I need to type on my blog.

ARS (fill in latinesque sounding word here)

Poetica (typically a poem pertaining to nature)

W.S. Merwin

To the Book

Go on then

in your own time

this is as far as I will take you

I am leaving your words with you

as though they had been yours

all the time

of course you are not finished

how can you be finished

when the morning begins again

or the moon rises

even the words are not finished

thought they may claim to be

nevermind

I will not be

listening when they say

how you should be different in some way

you will be able to tell them

that the fault was all mine

whoever I was

when I made you up

ANYWAY. This is just one example of the ever fear inducing question-

Can we differentiate the author and the art?

It seems all critiques, theorize that the two are inseperable.

Could this be Merwin dismissing his critiques? or just addressing criticisms of poetry?

This ties in to one of many ideas discussed in…

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BAM!

That’s basically the encapsulated effect of The GO! Team. No, not reminscent of Emeril Lagasse, this won’t turn into a Food Network Blog.

Anyway, the condensed energy of this band fronted by MC Lisa Lee, ( or Ninja sometimes), explodes in your ear drums and uncomfortably forces you into a good time, even if you want one or not. By mixing 60’s groove, - think Theme song to Hawaii- 5-O- early rap influence and a modern indie twist. That’s basically what they use to show “the world knows what we’re talking about.”

“Grip Like A Vice” - punches you in the throat with teenage hyperactivity and gives you an impression that will leave your lobes tingling for more. I also wonder if the name of the song is a Vag reference, she does say it’s a women’s world…. just sayin’

” My World” - basically sounds like an after-school special ending credits. In a very peaceful backdrop, This actually reminds me of the montages used on The Wonder Years. (Winnie! You should have ended up with Kevin!) This brings in that truly nostalgic effect, mixed in with a Jon Brion circa Eternal Sunshine sounding theme.

Their older cd “Thunder, Lightning, Strike ” is full of these nostalgia laden, groove-based samples which turn into classics. Their new cd is all of their own recordings, with more of a ferocity behind it. Tough to decide a fav, but so far it goes to Grip.

But definitely check out Ladyflash from their old one.

Lisa Lee throughout all of this reminds you of that girl you were attracted to that had no problem kicking little boys in the shins, and then apologizing with that cutesy, foot-pivoted-into-the-ground innocent smile.

Katie, wherever you are, you’re still a whore.

Who kicks someone in the shins? It was the second grade , but I know since then karma has came back since then and struck you with some form of an std.

Anyway, highly recommend anyone that just wants to kick out the jams of the old-school playground days, and have a sick soundtrack while double-dutching your hearts out .

Trying to figure out when the hell to jump in,

Jordan.

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