2012: My year in music

Happy new year! 

2012

Jan. Ingrid Michaelson – “How We Love” ………… <listen>
Feb. Mika – “We Are Golden” (acoustic version) ………… <listen>
Mar. Cat Power – “Human Being” ………… <listen>
Apr. Regina Spektor – “One More Time With Feeling” ………… <listen>
May. Regina Spektor – “How” ………… <listen>
Jun. Pink Martini – “Clementine” ………… <listen>
Jul. Pink Martini  – “Hang On Little Tomato” ………… <listen>
Aug. Oh Land – “White Nights” ………… <listen>
Sep. David Bowie – “Life on Mars?” ………… <listen>
Oct. Coldplay – “Yellow” (live) ………… <listen>
Nov. Christina Perri – “A Thousand Years” ………… <listen>
Dec. Ednaswap – “Torn” ………… <listen>

float

I want to go
to a small little village
of few people
where cats pounce
but fish leap

But who knows
anything of this town?

There floats an orb
large
and luminescent

Children cry
at its sight
some look
but their eyes flicker
away

Framed panorama

yellow dots
and red dots
glide through the city
and I stay
tense,
with bated breath
floating strangers
stroking ginkgo leaves
bells and orbs
scattered, bouncing
as you
saunter
or…waddle
there

The Silver Loo Gallery, exhibit no. 1: The body inescapable

Rinus Van de Velde

[A post i started in July and only now got around to finishing…]

I noticed there’s an alarmingly disproportionate amount of text on this blog compared to images, which i find ironic, because i’m a very much visually oriented person.  So i’ve decided to start a regular (monthly? quarterly?) feature in which i showcase some of the images i discover and appreciate in my daily web browsing and periodic gallery visits.  I’ve always dreamed of being a gallery curator, so this will be one way of living out that fantasy, if only virtually.  Although i anticipate sharing mostly images, anything non-textual is fair game.  Each exhibit will feature the work of six individuals, living or dead.

And with that, ladies and gentlemen, the opening exhibit of The Silver Loo Gallery:

The body inescapable
January 2011

(‘Continue reading’ to enter)

2010: My year in music

Time for another annual soundtrack.  I thought i’d say a few words about 2010, but i wouldn’t even know where to start.  All i can say is that this year’s soundtrack was one of the most difficult to compile.

Happy new year, and see you in 2011!

2010: My year in music

Pre. U2 – “City of Blinding Lights” ………… <listen>
Jan. Florence and the Machine – “Postcards from Italy” (Beirut cover) ………… <listen>
Feb. Chroma Key – “You Go Now” ………… <listen>
Mar. Alanis Morissette – “Giggling Again for No Reason” ………… <listen>
Apr. Patrick Park – “Something Pretty” ………… <listen>
May. The Temper Trap – “Sweet Disposition” ………… <listen>
Jun. Nick Drake – “Been Smokin’ Too Long” ………… <listen>
Jul. Adele  – “Chasing Pavements” ………… <listen>
Aug. Duncan Sheik – “Good Morning!”
Sep. Oasis – “Stand By Me” ………… <listen>
Oct. Olney Clark – “Tea and Thunderstorms” ………… <listen>
Nov. Norah Jones – “Come Away With Me” ………… <listen>
Dec. Testface – “all the glass prayers”
Fin. Radiohead – “Planet Telex” ………… <listen>

2009
2008
2007

“The artist is the athlete.” –Matthew Barney

Everything about The Cremaster Cycle is sensuous, and Matthew Barney is the most generous filmmaker; he is not interested in feeding us a world through his eyes and ears.  Instead, he wants to open up a world to us by uncovering for us the things we want to see and hear.  What he sees and enjoys most, we see from the most satisfying angle.  What he hears and enjoys most, we hear at the most appropriate volume.  And these sights and sounds, we experience at just the right moments and frequency.  The camera floats at times like our eyes do when scoping out an unfamiliar place.  Static shots and long silences (i.e. with audio, but no dialogue or music) allow us to see and hear the situation and every detail in it to our heart’s content.  There is so much gratification for the viewer that you can’t help but love the experience you’re being given, despite it being given to you by Barney and not yourself.  As long as film is a practice in voyeuristic pleasure, Barney, as filmmaker, delivers.

For being a study of sexual differentiation, the epic does not take itself too seriously (maybe 5, and parts of 3, but most certainly not 1, 2, and 4).  Those who claim that it is a masterpiece defying all classification are blowing what is a neat series of films all out of proportion.  For The Cremaster Cycle is just that:  five films, nothing more.  And Barney knows this:  he knows that a movie is a movie, and that above all, a movie’s purpose is to entertain.  His sculptures may be art, but his films are not.  Nonetheless, there is a link between the two, a link that truly distinguishes The Cremaster Cycle:  these films make love to sculpture.

2009: My year in music

2009 was a long year.  I guess a lot happened, a lot of it tiring, but at the same time, none of it was very interesting.  I’d say this was the year of insecurities for me.  There were several moments when my pride and my insecurity were at odds, which is something i’ve never dealt with before.  It caused problems here and there, but no permanent damage was done, i don’t think.  I’m just glad i didn’t let my pride get in the way of reconnecting with a special friend, which was one of my few proud accomplishments this year.  This was also the last full year of school for me, which had me agonizing over my impending graduation and the full time job search.  I still don’t know what i’m going to be doing after i graduate.  All i know is that it’ll be weird not being in school come next September.

Anyways, i would like to wish you all a happy new year.  Stay healthy and never stop dreaming.

2009: My year in music

Pre. Backwords – “Factory Angels”
Jan. Rickie Lee Jones – “Atlas’ Marker”
Feb. Fleet Foxes – “Innocent Son” ………… <listen>
Mar. 8mm – “Forever and Ever Amen” ………… <listen>
Apr. Rickie Lee Jones – “On Saturday Afternoons in 1963” ………… <listen>
May. RENT Original Soundtrack – “Will I” ………… <listen>
Jun. Prince – “Purple Rain” ………… <listen>
Jul. 서태지 (Seotaiji)  – “Moai”
Aug. She & Him – “Black Hole” ………… <listen>
Sep. Sigur Rós – “Ný batterí” ………… <listen>
Oct. Bruno Coulais – “L’évocation” ………… <listen>
Nov. Kate Earl – “Come This Far” ………… <listen>
Dec. DJ Shadow – “Napalm Brain-Scatter Brain” ………… <listen>
Fin. Ani DiFranco – “Alla This” ………… <listen>

2008
2007

The last three months have been uneventful and uninspiring

I have nothing to say.  Sad, but true.  So, instead of words, here are some sweet images of works by artists i’ve been admiring lately:

Elspeth Diedrix

Dandelion

Blue Bottle

My latest obsession

“A Case of You” has got to be one of the greatest songs of all time.  It’s a Joni Mitchell original, but there are many, many covers, my favorite of which is Prince’s from the 2007 album, A Tribute to Joni Mitchell.  I’ve listened to it 278 times in less than a month, and as much as i love Joni, i have to admit that i like his rendition more than any of hers.  Check it out here, and Mitchell’s original here (live version of the Blue version, which was her original release).

Nick Cave is demented (but an amazing artist)

Am i the only one who’s terrified of these?  I had to walk into a roomful of these 7 foot tall soundsuits in various poses for a sculpture assignment, and it took all the mental power i had to stay in there for more than a minute.  These things are terrifying!  Stand in their shadows one day and you’ll see what i mean.