FROM PAZZ & JOP 2007: Grow Up Like a Rock Star

The "rock star," as we traditionally think of it, is scarce on this year's Pazz & Jop ballots. The mega-famous icon clutching a guitar and singing about heartache or fucking or partying or escape or revolution; the prophet whom we come to for concrete answers instead of riddles and viral videos and cryptic website codes. Maybe there's a dearth this year, given the lack of new offerings from Dylan, Beck, Green Day, System of a Down, U2, or Johnny Cash. Or maybe we're prisoners of our own self-awareness. [READ MORE]

— Christopher R. Weingarten

SOURCE: Village Voice/Pazz&Jop 2007

Roger Black

SOURCE: RogerBlack.com

Kelefa Sanneh, Ariel Levy Join New Yorker

New York Times music critic Kelefa Sanneh is leaving the newspaper to become a staff writer at The New Yorker, according to an internal memo distributed yesterday. (Radar had reported a rumor to this effect.) Also heading over to 4 Times Square is New York Magazine contributing editor and writer Ariel Levy, who has already posted the news to her personal web site.

SOURCE: The New York Observer

Bjork makes 'free Tibet' gesture

Bjork has a track record of courting controversy and surprising her fans The Icelandic singer, Bjork, has caused controversy among fans in China by shouting "Tibet! Tibet!" at the end of a concert in Shanghai. The cry followed a powerful performance of her song Declare Independence. Talk of Tibetan independence is considered taboo in China, which has ruled the territory since 1951. [READ MORE]

SOURCE: BBC News

Blues guitarist Jeff Healey dies at 41

Legendary blues and jazz guitarist Jeff Healey has died, his publicist said Sunday. The Canadian musician had battled cancer his entire life."It was something he fought with considerable bravery," his publicist, Richard Flohil, told Newsnet late Sunday.
Healey, 41, had lost his eyesight to a rare form of the disease, Retinoblastoma, at the age of one. [READ MORE]

SOURCE: CTV.ca

Definitely NSFW

SOURCE: Murdog via YouTube.com

Where are they now?

Tyler Gray,
Senior Editor,
Radar Online

Had just been hired as a Contributing Editor at Radar 2.0 when it folded.

Straight.

Freelanced at US Weekly until Maer rescued him for Radar 3.0.

Wrote the "Is Your Baby Gay?" article in the new issue of Radar.

Oversees much of the website content. Rumored to be behind the Corynne Steindler hit and the open letter to Stephen Colbert about the gay baby article.

Wrote a column about dating ("Draw the Line on Matchmaking Mom," "Just Don't Call It A Mingle for Singles," etc.) for the Orlando Sentinel, after being a beat reporter.

Became outdoors editor at Men's Fitness in August 2004.

SOURCE: Gawker.com

Introducing Daytrotter (in their own words)

These fine people — as they’re traveling through America’s heartland — take two hours out of their travels between shows to stop in for a Daytrotter Session at Futureappletree Studio One in downtown Rock Island, Ill. The name of the city is not ironic. They use borrowed instruments, play with their touring mates, utilize an often unkempt toilet, eat some food and then cram back into their vans for the last half of the drive. What they leave behind is a pile of ashes, sometimes a forgotten stocking hat and four absolutely collectible songs that often impart on whomever listens to them the true intensity that these musicians put into their art, sometimes with more clarity than they do when they have months to tinker with overdubs and experiments. These songs are them as they are on that particular day, on that particular tour — dirty and alive. We want you to make this your new home as it is ours. We promise that you will love it here.

SOURCE: Daytrotter.com

Ooops!

NEW YORK — Maxim magazine has apologized for publishing a negative review of the Black Crowes' new album by a writer who hadn't listened to the whole CD. The review in Maxim's March issue gives the Crowes' "Warpaint" a rating of two-and-a-half stars out of five. The band posted an exasperated statement on its Web site last week saying the Maxim writer hadn't heard the entire album because advance copies weren't available. The Crowes' manager, Pete Angelus, said the magazine explained that its review was an "educated guess."
[READ MORE]

SOURCE: YahooNews

William F. Buckley Jr. Is Dead at 82

William F. Buckley Jr., who marshaled polysyllabic exuberance, famously arched eyebrows and a refined, perspicacious mind to elevate conservatism to the center of American political discourse, died Wednesday at his home in Stamford, Conn. [READ MORE]

SOURCE: New York Times

Participation

Have you ever seen night going? Very few people even become aware of things which are happening every day. Have you ever seen the evening coming? The midnight and its song? The sunrise and its beauty?

We are behaving almost like blind people. In such a beautiful world we are living in small ponds of our own misery. It is familiar, so even if somebody wants to pull you out, you struggle. You don't want to be pulled out of your misery, of your suffering. Otherwise there is so much joy all around, you have just to be aware of it and to become a participant, not a spectator.

Osho Zen: The Miracle Chapter 2

SOURCE: OSHO Zen Tarot

The History of Black History

Americans have recognized black history annually since 1926, first as "Negro History Week" and later as "Black History Month." What you might not know is that black history had barely begun to be studied-or even documented-when the tradition originated. Although blacks have been in America at least as far back as colonial times, it was not until the 20th century that they gained a respectable presence in the history books. [READ MORE] —Elissa Haney

SOURCE: InfoPlease.com

Let go my ECO

SOURCE: EcoFoot.org

Breathe…

…breathe in the air.

Don't be afraid to care.
Leave, don't leave me.
Look around and choose your own ground.



SOURCES: BreathingEarth.net
and Pink Floyd, 'Breathe'

The Epochs

Thomas Pridgen is the shizzy

SOURCE: Youtube.com

"The guys get shirts!"

If you've never heard this it is a must!
Paul Anka, entertainer extraordinaire, is heard chewing out his band backstage, post show some years ago. It's hilarious and kind of sad at the same time.
Enjoy!

SOURCE: NoiseTank.com

Ernest Frazier (1942 - 2004)

Untitled, 96"’ x 144"’, acrylic, tar paper and metal on canvas

Ernest Frazier was born in 1942 on a farm in Duboise Crossroads, South Carolina. He was moved to New York City as an infant and lived in Harlem. During the 1960s he attended the School of Visual Arts in New York City. After several group and solo exhibitions in 1972 Frazier was invited to exhibit in "Contemporary Black Artists in America" at the Whitney Museum. A second exhibition at the Whitney in ’72, "Contemporary American Paintings" also featured Frazier’s work. The following year, 1973, Frazier was invited to exhibit in the Whitney Biennial and in 1974 he showed in the Whitney exhibition, "The Twentieth Century, 35 American Artists." In 1973 Frazier purchased and restored an abandoned, red brick foundry building in Saugerties, NY. In the decades that followed, Frazier lived and worked in Saugerties, exhibiting extensively regionally. The bibliography of Frazier's work includes Art Forum, The New York Times and The Village Voice. Collections holding his work include the Whitney Museum, the Brooklyn Museum and the Schenectady Museum.

SOURCES: SlowArt.com,
Gathering Of The Tribes

Punchline Piracy is no joke!

SOURCE: Revver.com

The Story of Stuff

What is the Story of Stuff?

From its extraction through sale, use and disposal, all the stuff in our lives affects communities at home and abroad, yet most of this is hidden from view. The Story of Stuff is a 20-minute, fast-paced, fact-filled look at the underside of our production and consumption patterns. The Story of Stuff exposes the connections between a huge number of environmental and social issues, and calls us together to create a more sustainable and just world. It'll teach you something, it'll make you laugh, and it just may change the way you look at all the stuff in your life forever.

SOURCE: storyofstuff.com

FieldSchoolofLanguageMusic

Field Music's David Brewis is School of Language. His Thrill Jockey debut, Sea From Shore, is an instantly addictive collection of songs highlighted by bouyant loops and chunky riffs. The album was primarily recorded by David alone and consciously susceptible to the cut-and-paste, multi-tasking tangents induced by laptop recording, these constructions are resolutely un-band-like, veering between the intricate and unplayable and the solitary and unadorned, their cohesion stemming from an embrace of all that is most obtuse and personal.

Sea From Shore features one or two cameo appearances from David's hometown friends. Barry Hyde of The Futureheads plays guitar and sings on "Disappointment '99", while the same band's David Craig, sings on "Disappointment '99" and on "Extended Holiday". School of Language will be touring the U.S. in March joined by Doug McCombs (Tortoise, Eleventh Dream Day, Brokeback) on bass and Ryan Rapsys (Euphone, Ambulette) on drums.

SOURCE: ThrillJockey.com

Yosemite Sam visits Orlando

Sam Zell Says 'Fuck You' To His Journalist

Salty billionaire Sam Zell has long been known for his foul mouth and abrasive demeanor, rough edges that helped the real estate magnate build a reputation as a feisty and iconoclastic investor. But Zell's bluntness backfired at a Jan. 31 meeting of Orlando Sentinel staff after Zell said "fuck you" to a journalist who twice questioned him about softening news coverage. Most staff did not hear the insult until they watched the incident on video, one source said, in a recording that has been making the rounds and generating buzz within the Sentinel. The target of Zell's curse was photographer Sara Fajardo, and Zell called her at least twice the weekend to apologize, the source said. After the jump, exclusive video of Zell's brazen insult. [READ MORE]

SOURCE: Gawker.com

Cannonball run

For the kindest man
in the world

Early Monday morning December 10th, 2007, Cannonball, the kindest man in the world, was admitted to ORMC after a motorcycle accident. He suffered severe head trauma and is in a coma. Though the prognosis wasn't originally hopeful he is taking baby steps toward consciousness and full movement. No one knows what the final outcome will be but if anyone can beat this thing it's Cannonball. He needs love, friendship, positive energy and let's face it — coin. Friends and loved ones kept vigil at the hospital before his move to rehab, musical/art benefits are going on and more are being planned, and we know he can feel the love. But there's more to be done — any and all ideas to help Cannonball and his family please go for it... Thanks, Katie and Stephanie
— Cannonball Relief Fund

This site is accepting donations to help with Cannonball's medical costs and/or physical rehab. 100% of the funds will go to Cannonball.

SOURCE: Zelo

Shameless plug…

Not too long ago, I had the distinct pleasure to work with a fellow who happened to be quite a luthier. He had a few photos of his craftsmanship with him at the office. The woodworking was magnificent and rivaled any upper-tier bass line I've seen. He brought an actual bass into the office one day for show and tell. Amazing! The basses are uniquely blended layers of beautiful and exotic wood. If you're a bass player or just like finely crafted wood instruments, RM Basses are worth checking out.



SOURCE: RMBasses

The sound of silence…

Supersilent
8
(Rune Grammofon; 2007)

Anyone who's heard A Love Supreme (1963) — or hey, Lift Yr. Skinny Fists Like Antennas to Heaven (2000) — should have some idea of the spiritual associations, however loosely defined, of music that falls loosely into these sub-genres. What always struck me about free jazz, in particular, was how it conveys both spiritual ecstasy and chaotic dread at the same time. Y'know, just like how the words "rapturous" and "apocalyptic" carry very different connotations but mean essentially the same thing. Supersilent's latest title-less masterpiece — the follow-up to 2003's equally incredible 6 — comes dangerously close to being the essential document of that non-juxtaposition; a perfect intersection of free improvisation, electroacoustic experimentation, and the dramatic arc of post-rock.

— Joel Elliott

SOURCE: CokeMachineGlow.com

The Heath Ledger/Nick Drake Connection

Actor claims obsession with Drake, simulates suicide on 2007 video to Drake's music

The already startling death of actor Heath Ledger has taken on another startling dimension following the revelation that Ledger courted a self-proclaimed obsession with another tragic figure, late English folk singer Nick Drake. This obsession even manifested itself in a piece of Drake-inspired performance art that may have foreshadowed Ledger's demise.

SOURCE: PitchforkMedia.com, MTV.com

Coachella announces line-up

The line-up for the 2008 COACHELLA VALLEY MUSIC & ARTS FESTIVAL — Friday, April 25, Saturday, April 26 and Sunday, April 27 — was announced January 21 at an event in Mexico City. Beyond the line-up announcement, COACHELLA promoters detailed their plans to make tickets and travel packages directly available to music fans throughout Mexico.

“This is really a way for us to get closer to our fans throughout Latin America who have been supportive of Coachella for the past 10 years,”
says Goldenvoice’s Paul Tollett.

SOURCE: Coachella

In regard to obstacles…

Ganesha (also known as Ganapati and Vinayaka) is one of the most worshipped deities in the Hindu faith, also extending into Buddhism and beyond India. He is easy identifiable by his elephant head (as you can see in the picture) and is known as the ''Remover of Obstacles'' but also places obstacles in paths of some.

Ganesha is known as "Lord of Obstacles" in a spiritual and material sense. Paul Courtright said that "his task in the divine scheme of things, his dharma, is to place and remove obstacles. It is his particular territory, the reason for his creation." He is also known as the Lord of Intelligence — Buddhi and Ganesha is closely associated, buddhi being a noun that is translated as wisdom or intelligence.

SOURCE: PurplePJs.com

Actor Heath Ledger Found Dead

Heath Ledger was found dead Tuesday at a downtown Manhattan apartment, and police said drugs may have been a factor.

Police said Ledger was naked in his bed with an unknown number of sleeping pills near his body.
The Australian-born actor was 28.
[READ MORE]

My life right now is, I wouldn't say reduced to food, but my duties in life are that I wake up, cook breakfast, clean the dishes, prepare lunch, clean those dishes, go to the market, get fresh produce, cook dinner, clean those dishes and then sleep if I can. And I love it. I actually adore it.

I'm not good at future planning. I don't plan at all. I don't know what I'm doing tomorrow. I don't have a day planner and I don't have a diary. I completely live in the now, not in the past, not in the future.

SOURCES: KTLA.com, IMDB.com

On this day in history…

Francis Bacon,
1st Viscount St Alban (22 January 1561 – 9 April 1626) was an English philosopher, statesman, and essayist. He is also known as a proponent of the scientific revolution. Indeed, according to John Aubrey, his dedication may have brought him into a rare historical group of scientists who were killed by their own experiments.

His works established and popularized an inductive methodology for scientific inquiry, often called the Baconian method or simply, the scientific method. In the context of his time such methods were connected with the occult trends of hermeticism and alchemy^{[citation needed]}. Nevertheless, his demand for a planned procedure of investigating all things natural marked a new turn in the rhetorical and theoretical framework for science, much of which still informs conceptions of proper methodology today.

Bacon was knighted in 1603, created Baron Verulam in 1618, and created Viscount St Alban in 1621; without heirs, both peerages became extinct upon his death. He has been credited as the creator of the English essay.

SOURCE: Wikipedia.org

It's a 2-fer!

BLACK MOUNTAIN
In The Future
JagJaguwar

Favorite psych-and-prog-spiritual pioneers BLACK MOUNTAIN are back with "In The Future", their second full-length album that resonates with the same epic ring, beloved deep rock touchstones and genuine folk fragility that made their self-titled debut full-length an instant classic. The new album possesses immense breadth, seamlessly showcasing short and classic folk-pop gems along with driving modern rock masterpieces, peaking with "Bright Lights", a seventeen-minute multi-dimensional opus that gives Pink Floyd's "Echoes" a run for its money. [READ MORE]

"In the Future is an expansive statement of an album, full of big guitars and cold space, a variety of sounds and a hard-earned and ever-present brilliance."
— 8/10, POP MATTERS

"Confident but not copyist, in the future few records will sound this dominant." -- 8/10, NME

"…an ambitious state-of-the world address that delivers on an emotional and visceral level."
— 4 stars, MOJO

"Impossibly brilliant second album. Listen to In The Future and you'll probably care about this band for a long long time"
— 4.5/5, THE SUN

In The Future "eclipses their previous output and hits a consistent note of righteous force."
— WIRE magazine

"…heady, heavy and brilliantly executed: stoner rock for the masses."
— WORD magazine

SOURCE: JagJaguwar

I hate cover records…but

CAT POWER
JUKEBOX
MATADOR

I've made it my entire adult, musician life never joining a cover band. It's simple: Other bands have already cashed in on the material. Why would I cover someone else's material at a pittance of what they're compensated? ’Nuff said.
So why can't I stop listening to the new Cat Power covers record? It started moving me the moment 'New York New York' started playing.
Yup. A Sinatra cover.
Go Figure.
One word: Remarkable!

Check it out here.

SOURCE: Zelo

From Seth's Blog…

Workaholics

It was hard to imagine someone being passionate about mining coal or scrubbing dishes. But the new face of work, at least for some people, opens up the possibility that work is the thing (much of the time) that you'd most like to do. Designing jobs like that is obviously smart. Finding one is brilliant. [READ MORE]

DON'T FORGET TO GET THE DIP BY SETH GODIN.
IT WILL IF NOT CHANGE YOUR LIFE, IT WILL
CHANGE FOREVER WHAT YOU THINK ABOUT
WHAT YOU DO.

SOURCE: SethGodin.typepad.com

Albert Schweitzer: Artist

Artist Statement

Quirky characters is what I paint. Much of the time,
I let spontaneity and being open create the characters first. I later then organize these beings and put them in an environment where they live and interact with each other. The use of fluid lines and splashy shapes make up the paintings and sculptures. I use bright colors to add cheer
to the sometimes dark and ominous states of some of these characters. At times, these images are autobiographical,
and sometimes they are of people I know or have experienced. It is my intention that I paint a world that
is filled with the various states of the human condition
and how they relate to the rest of the world.

— Albert Schweitzer

SOURCE: AlbertSchweitzerArt.com

This just in from Wired…

Apple Insider Leaks Ultra-Portable Details




An Apple insider told Wired today that the company's new ultraportable, expected to be seen in public for the first time tomorrow, has an extremely thin profile and is shaped like a teardrop when closed — thicker at the top behind the screen, tapering at the bottom behind the keyboard. "It's unbelievably thin," said the source.

SOURCE: blog.Wired.com

"From the Gutter to the Glitter…"

Introducing the Bindlestiff Family Cirkus

Since 1995 the Bindlestiff Family Cirkus has traveled the world, bringing its unique hybrid of vaudeville, circus, burlesque, and sideshow to theaters, clubs, colleges, and festivals. The company has produced innumerable cabaret shows, custom performances for special audiences, all-ages and family productions, and sophisticated adult shows. Over the last five years the company has begun developing more theatrical productions, including 2001's Buckaroo Bindlestiff's Wild West Gender Bender Jamboree, 2003's High Heels & Red Noses, and 2005's From the Gutter to the Glitter: A Night Out with the Bindlestiffs.

[GO TO THE SITE]

Separated at birth

Multiple Emmy-nominated actor Oliver Platt (left) and
up-and-coming new media instigator and
unofficial Genesis visual biographer Lou Spirito.

SOURCES: IMDB.com, LouSpirito.com

Crispin Glover. Enough said.

SOURCE: hifilofi via YouTube.com

The secret knowledge of gamers…

15 Minutes of Fame:
Noor the pacifist

I prefer doing stranger stuff, as opposed to grinding high-end instances. Once, my 70 mage was in Southshore, and someone was asking directions to Ghostlands in zone chat. I told him how to go through EPL. Then I clicked on him, and he was something like a level 12 Draenei hunter. I asked him why he wanted to go there, and it turns out he wanted a red cat for a pet -- so I escorted him through EPL, and he only died a couple of times getting there. I've also done a few quests on PvP servers with non-hostile Horde players (not pre-arreanged or anything), such as the mechanical chicken escort in Feralas (twice, so we could all get credit)

Does anyone have a Gamer-toEnglish translation handy?
Just checking.

SOURCE: WowInsider.com

Reel Geezers

SOURCE: ReelGeezers@YouTube.com

1, 2, 3…

SOURCE: YouTube.com

I heart Flash!

Badgers
(Badger, badger,
badger, badger.
Mushroom, mushroom!
Snake!)

by J. Picking


SOURCE: AlbinoBlackSheep.com

Sleazy McQueen

“It was simple, really; each month, he and his Evil Twin Maxula would hire world-renowned deejays willing to play for bargain prices and two-bit haybed accommodations to play for the two of them and one or two other townsfolk, and each month the pair would lose a few hundred more dollars.”
[READ MORE]

SOURCE: myspace.com/SleazyMcQueen

"Karate was actually a dynamic and exciting band"

Karate
595
[Southern; 2007]

If there was ever a band that struggled to overcome sounding cold and mannered, Karate was it. Guitarist/singer Geoff Farina's deeply considered Donald Fagan-meets-D. Boon noodling, aching yet oblique lyrics, and clean, almost skeletal guitars hardly made for sexy listening-- unless you somehow associate aural-hotness with post-structuralism or wet shoes. So it's a surprise that 595-- Karate's first live album-- is so warm and energetic.
[READ MORE]

SOURCE: Pitchforkmedia.com