raising hell (run dmc)
This album never really made a big impression on me. I can respect it; I can tell how they fused rock and rap in ways that had never been done before; I can tell that they were hip hop pioneers. And a lot of the tracks are fun, acceptable tracks. But their sound is not a sound I would excitedly search out to listen to again. "Peter Piper" is a lot of fun, "It's Tricky" is a classic, a nice track for a party (pretty sure I've heard it at Meghan's or somesuch before.) "Walk This Way" is good. But that's the thing, everything is 'good,' nothing really astonishes me. And the lyrics are thematically a little redundant, a lot of it is 'we are great!' Which is cool in the sense of, that old school MC bravado is still fun, but again, good not great.
The key thing is that their beats are pretty minimalist, and I need good, melodic hooks in a beat to really get into a rap song.
The most fun or interesting aspect of this album I generally found was, the lightness of their tone. There are fewer than five swear words in the entire album- there's references to McDonald's, Adidas, Dog Food; at different points the lyrics touch on 'don't steal,' 'don't do drugs,' 'stay in school,' 'don't be promiscuous,' and some very earnest, (I don't mean this pejoratively) middle-school style black pride. "You Be Illin" and "Dumb Girl" are pretty light and silly. "Raising Hell" was generally one of their darker, more exciting songs.
Cool stuff, I like it, don't love it. Glad I listened to it.
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Sunday, January 25, 2009
album #11
cease to begin (band of horses)
This would be a fun band to see live- there's a passion to their music, and their sound feels like it could mostly survive the transfer from studio to stage. I really like the vocals- this high, yearning, shouting voice, with the faintest twang.
Most of the songs are slower, with a distinct lean towards mournful country music. It's still great music, and I don't mean it pejoratively, but there's a clear country lean. "Detlef Schrempf" is my favorite of the slower songs- very pretty and thoughtful. When it comes to indie rock, I love most anything that soars, and three songs on this album absolutely soar- "Is There a Ghost," "Islands on the Coast," which truly gets better with every single listen, and evolved to a huge favorite of mine, and "Cigarettes Wedding Bands," which has a vague sadness to it but really exciting hooks.
Thumbs up. The review that introduced me to this band referenced some of their influences- Built to Spill, for instance- and this album has gotten me even more excited to listen and learn more about those influences.
This would be a fun band to see live- there's a passion to their music, and their sound feels like it could mostly survive the transfer from studio to stage. I really like the vocals- this high, yearning, shouting voice, with the faintest twang.
Most of the songs are slower, with a distinct lean towards mournful country music. It's still great music, and I don't mean it pejoratively, but there's a clear country lean. "Detlef Schrempf" is my favorite of the slower songs- very pretty and thoughtful. When it comes to indie rock, I love most anything that soars, and three songs on this album absolutely soar- "Is There a Ghost," "Islands on the Coast," which truly gets better with every single listen, and evolved to a huge favorite of mine, and "Cigarettes Wedding Bands," which has a vague sadness to it but really exciting hooks.
Thumbs up. The review that introduced me to this band referenced some of their influences- Built to Spill, for instance- and this album has gotten me even more excited to listen and learn more about those influences.
Saturday, January 24, 2009
album #10
songs in the key of life (stevie wonder)
A very impressive, versatile pop album. As far as I can tell there are three clusters of lyrical themes- songs about love, songs about lost love, and a surprisingly high number of songs about social consciousness.
The album varies between softer, slower numbers and upbeat, hook-laden, funky pop. The first song that startled me was "Village Ghetto Land," because the melody is very tender and elegant, all strings; and then the lyrics are a very stark social/political lament. "All Day Sucker" is a great song and it sounds like a definite influence on more recent pop- I can absolutely picture this song covered by N'Sync (I mean it as a compliment.)
I liked a whole lot of the songs, particularly "Sir Duke," a classic single which evokes the spirit of 1920s jazz clubs; "I Wish," an especially brilliant, upbeat single; "Contusion" is a fun instrumental, and I might be using the term incorrectly but it made me think of 'jazz fusion'; "Pastime Paradise" (I did not know that Coolio was sampling this song); "If It's Magic," based entirely around his vocals and a harp, is particularly sad and pretty among his sad and pretty 'lost love' songs; and "Black Man" is exhilarating, both as an uplifting, funky work of pop and as a defiant, proud social statement.
The only thing I found tiresome about the music is that, more than one track gets a little repetitive or dragged-out near the end. But altogether this is a masterful collection of exciting melodies and interesting themes.
A very impressive, versatile pop album. As far as I can tell there are three clusters of lyrical themes- songs about love, songs about lost love, and a surprisingly high number of songs about social consciousness.
The album varies between softer, slower numbers and upbeat, hook-laden, funky pop. The first song that startled me was "Village Ghetto Land," because the melody is very tender and elegant, all strings; and then the lyrics are a very stark social/political lament. "All Day Sucker" is a great song and it sounds like a definite influence on more recent pop- I can absolutely picture this song covered by N'Sync (I mean it as a compliment.)
I liked a whole lot of the songs, particularly "Sir Duke," a classic single which evokes the spirit of 1920s jazz clubs; "I Wish," an especially brilliant, upbeat single; "Contusion" is a fun instrumental, and I might be using the term incorrectly but it made me think of 'jazz fusion'; "Pastime Paradise" (I did not know that Coolio was sampling this song); "If It's Magic," based entirely around his vocals and a harp, is particularly sad and pretty among his sad and pretty 'lost love' songs; and "Black Man" is exhilarating, both as an uplifting, funky work of pop and as a defiant, proud social statement.
The only thing I found tiresome about the music is that, more than one track gets a little repetitive or dragged-out near the end. But altogether this is a masterful collection of exciting melodies and interesting themes.
Thursday, January 22, 2009
album #9
marquee moon (television)
This is a brilliant album. One of my big goals this year was to listen to a lot of music I hadn't heard before, expand my knowledge of a lot of the all time greats; this album I first listened to last year, when I had a similar motivation but less of a structure/routine. So I figured I'd go ahead, give it a fresh listen and write a quick review.
I really love the structure of the band- the drums and bass setting the rhythm, and those absolutely amazing, interwoven guitars- the intricacy, the hooks, the energy. I'm not completely in love with the vocals but they match the energy of the music very well. The first half of this album is extremely good, the second half is pretty good. "See No Evil" has a great opening riff and is generally a good song; "Venus" is fucking brilliant, probably my favorite song on the album. But it's close between that one and "Marquee Moon," which is pretty long but goes through really compelling phases (and fantastic hooks). "Friction" has an Amazing opening and otherwise it's pretty good, but not an automatic favorite.
Altogther it's a great, great album- I might have to try and find a way to get it, because it's much harder to find on youtube than it was last year. A lot of the tracks have been removed, leaving only live performances- this is probably why my impression of the later tracks wasn't as strong.
This is a brilliant album. One of my big goals this year was to listen to a lot of music I hadn't heard before, expand my knowledge of a lot of the all time greats; this album I first listened to last year, when I had a similar motivation but less of a structure/routine. So I figured I'd go ahead, give it a fresh listen and write a quick review.
I really love the structure of the band- the drums and bass setting the rhythm, and those absolutely amazing, interwoven guitars- the intricacy, the hooks, the energy. I'm not completely in love with the vocals but they match the energy of the music very well. The first half of this album is extremely good, the second half is pretty good. "See No Evil" has a great opening riff and is generally a good song; "Venus" is fucking brilliant, probably my favorite song on the album. But it's close between that one and "Marquee Moon," which is pretty long but goes through really compelling phases (and fantastic hooks). "Friction" has an Amazing opening and otherwise it's pretty good, but not an automatic favorite.
Altogther it's a great, great album- I might have to try and find a way to get it, because it's much harder to find on youtube than it was last year. A lot of the tracks have been removed, leaving only live performances- this is probably why my impression of the later tracks wasn't as strong.
album #8
highway 61 revisited (bob dylan)
Dylan is probably most famous for his lyrics, but my interest with music is much more about melodies, not lyrics. On top of that, I found the structure of many of the songs kinda redundant- "rambling verse with standard rhyme scheme- name of the song! rambling verse with standard rhyme scheme- name of the song!" (JD says that this is a classic Blues structure, and Dylan is playing with it) Regardless, this was a generally likable album with a few tracks that were really incredible.
"Like a Rolling Stone" is obviously an astonishing track. It's an all-time classic and I absolutely loved it. "Queen Jane Approximately" sounds like a very generic Dylan song, 2nd listen through 7th listen, but the first time it sounds really cool, and after enough plays it earns back a unique appeal. A very sweet (melodically, not lyrically), chill, rhythmic experience, especially at the very opening. "From a Buick 6" really grew on me, my favorite I think of several particularly rambly, uptempo tracks. And "Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues" is a good one, it reminds me- appropriately, I suppose- of The Band. It struck me as a little cooler and more relaxed than a lot of the other tracks (not that the faster tracks were dislikable, but it was a cool change of pace.) "Ballad of a Thin Man" on the other hand, I found pretty eerie, mean and annoying.
Good stuff, I look forward to hearing more of him and expanding my knowledge of his oeuvre.
Dylan is probably most famous for his lyrics, but my interest with music is much more about melodies, not lyrics. On top of that, I found the structure of many of the songs kinda redundant- "rambling verse with standard rhyme scheme- name of the song! rambling verse with standard rhyme scheme- name of the song!" (JD says that this is a classic Blues structure, and Dylan is playing with it) Regardless, this was a generally likable album with a few tracks that were really incredible.
"Like a Rolling Stone" is obviously an astonishing track. It's an all-time classic and I absolutely loved it. "Queen Jane Approximately" sounds like a very generic Dylan song, 2nd listen through 7th listen, but the first time it sounds really cool, and after enough plays it earns back a unique appeal. A very sweet (melodically, not lyrically), chill, rhythmic experience, especially at the very opening. "From a Buick 6" really grew on me, my favorite I think of several particularly rambly, uptempo tracks. And "Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues" is a good one, it reminds me- appropriately, I suppose- of The Band. It struck me as a little cooler and more relaxed than a lot of the other tracks (not that the faster tracks were dislikable, but it was a cool change of pace.) "Ballad of a Thin Man" on the other hand, I found pretty eerie, mean and annoying.
Good stuff, I look forward to hearing more of him and expanding my knowledge of his oeuvre.
Saturday, January 17, 2009
album #7
the rise and fall of ziggy stardust and the spiders from mars (david bowie)
Until now, I'd only heard the most famous tracks ("Sufragette City" and "Ziggy Stardust.") Something that surprised me was the enormous presence of influences and resemblances to other musicians. "Moonage Daydream" evokes Led Zepplin, "Sufragette City" is kinda like the Beach Boys, "Five Years" sounds like a Beatles track with Lennon-solo-era screaming, and "It Ain't Easy" makes me think of southern rock for whatever reason, although it also kinda sounds like a late-Beatles, Let It Be era McCartney track. "Starman" made me think of a rock opera. The general theme of this album was, classic 70s rock with a weird, cool, space age twist. My favorite tracks are "Five Years," which has this really interesting, insane, frantic pulse of desperation that grows at the end, and ultimately overtakes the steady, almost doo-wop rock demeanor. "Lady Stardust" is also a great one, and also sounds a bit like a rock opera (which I guess makes sense- Ziggy Stardust, thematically, sort of is a rock opera.) A lot of other tracks made me think of bands and songs that came long afterwards- there's a bit of punk rock to it, a bit of the 2000s new wave revival. There's no doubt that this was an influential album, both for capturing a lot of contemporary sounds, and it's creative, weirder innovations, and the influences it lent to future music movements.
"Rock 'n' Roll Suicide" is a great song and a great closer. It brings back some of the screaming and broken energy of "Five Years," a nice circular turn.
The bonus tracks are generally really good. "Sweet Head" is one of my favorite tracks on the whole album. With the bonuses included, the album ends on demos of "Ziggy Stardust" and "Lady Stardust." The album itself is this very bold and weird thing, like it's literally coming from a creature from outer space. So the demos are striking because they remind you that these are songs, crafted and drafted and planned by humans. The "Lady Stardust" demo is a great album closer, a soft but encouraging epilogue.
Altogether I didn't love this album but it was pretty cool. And I liked it more the more I heard of it (though that'll probably be true of most albums.)
Until now, I'd only heard the most famous tracks ("Sufragette City" and "Ziggy Stardust.") Something that surprised me was the enormous presence of influences and resemblances to other musicians. "Moonage Daydream" evokes Led Zepplin, "Sufragette City" is kinda like the Beach Boys, "Five Years" sounds like a Beatles track with Lennon-solo-era screaming, and "It Ain't Easy" makes me think of southern rock for whatever reason, although it also kinda sounds like a late-Beatles, Let It Be era McCartney track. "Starman" made me think of a rock opera. The general theme of this album was, classic 70s rock with a weird, cool, space age twist. My favorite tracks are "Five Years," which has this really interesting, insane, frantic pulse of desperation that grows at the end, and ultimately overtakes the steady, almost doo-wop rock demeanor. "Lady Stardust" is also a great one, and also sounds a bit like a rock opera (which I guess makes sense- Ziggy Stardust, thematically, sort of is a rock opera.) A lot of other tracks made me think of bands and songs that came long afterwards- there's a bit of punk rock to it, a bit of the 2000s new wave revival. There's no doubt that this was an influential album, both for capturing a lot of contemporary sounds, and it's creative, weirder innovations, and the influences it lent to future music movements.
"Rock 'n' Roll Suicide" is a great song and a great closer. It brings back some of the screaming and broken energy of "Five Years," a nice circular turn.
The bonus tracks are generally really good. "Sweet Head" is one of my favorite tracks on the whole album. With the bonuses included, the album ends on demos of "Ziggy Stardust" and "Lady Stardust." The album itself is this very bold and weird thing, like it's literally coming from a creature from outer space. So the demos are striking because they remind you that these are songs, crafted and drafted and planned by humans. The "Lady Stardust" demo is a great album closer, a soft but encouraging epilogue.
Altogether I didn't love this album but it was pretty cool. And I liked it more the more I heard of it (though that'll probably be true of most albums.)
recap
lately I've mainly used this blog to publish my cultural reflections- this strikes me as a pretty good use. I've got another album review coming up in a few minutes. I did some good work earlier this week, and I've had some good social experiences, otherwise it's been a lower key, less eventful/disciplined week. The exercise regimen I've not been good about. Whenever I do it it's a lot of fun and feels good, but I don't think I've approached the consistency necessary to make it a really effective re-shaping.
On the other hand, I think some of the habit changes have made an effective, positive change. I'm publishing my drawings now on another website, and it's very good having a consistent pattern of posting work, and it's nice hearing friends say good things about the drawings. It's a good step in the right direction. And the music education is good- and I definitely feel really proud whenever I hear and recognize a song, like in the theatre or in a bar or wherever, that I learned from the time I'm putting into listening and learning.
The book readin' has not happened at all. Books just put me to sleep, unfortunately. But hopefully I'll get that back on track.
The daily/weekly process of planning my days and counting my accomplishments and goals, is now handled by my year planner. So I don't post that stuff here anymore. But now and then I should, and will, post missions here if they're particularly important or if I really need to remind myself, focus myself.
On the other hand, I think some of the habit changes have made an effective, positive change. I'm publishing my drawings now on another website, and it's very good having a consistent pattern of posting work, and it's nice hearing friends say good things about the drawings. It's a good step in the right direction. And the music education is good- and I definitely feel really proud whenever I hear and recognize a song, like in the theatre or in a bar or wherever, that I learned from the time I'm putting into listening and learning.
The book readin' has not happened at all. Books just put me to sleep, unfortunately. But hopefully I'll get that back on track.
The daily/weekly process of planning my days and counting my accomplishments and goals, is now handled by my year planner. So I don't post that stuff here anymore. But now and then I should, and will, post missions here if they're particularly important or if I really need to remind myself, focus myself.
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
album #6
ready to die (the notorious b.i.g.)
Biggie's voice is one of his greatest assets. Just a great, husky, low voice, and an incredible flow. I'm not really a connoisseur of hip hop (one of my goals this year was to acquaint myself with the classics of the genre, this is step one) so I don't know how to compare his talents with other artists, except to say that my impressions ended up matching the reviews I pre-read.
The album is constructed really well, in terms of tonal shifts. There are very interesting transitions- the album begins as track after track of relentlessly violent, blustery, hardcore crime stories; shifts into smug sexual prowess with dapples of humor; opens into some more vulnerable, introspective perspectives on crime and sex; mixes in a couple 'Godfather' tracks where he's at the zenith of material power and confidence; and closes with some dramatic swings- intensely dark, vulnerable, and depressed, followed by a return to the angry, cocky criminal vibe, and finally an epilogue of goofy, smug misogyny.
Altogether I found the themes a little redundant after a while, but a lot of brilliant beats and countless brilliant, powerful lines. I don't think I'd listen to the entire album for fun, but a few tracks are truly astonishing.
Some of my favorites… the Intro itself sets an incredible tone, tells the story from his birth to this moment with just a few samples and scenes- very, very cool and exciting track. "Things Done Changed" is my absolute favorite of his crime story songs- it's a mile better than his others, in my opinion. Brutal, candid, terrifying, tragic, with a great beat and memorable lyrics. It serves as both a lament and a declaration- Biggie is on the scene. "Everyday Struggle" is another favorite- it captures the sadness and anxiety of the criminal lifestyle, with a great beat. "Juicy" and "Big Poppa" are both classics, and I liked them. Those are the tracks I would probably go out of my way to listen to again. The rest of the album varied from pretty good to meh.
You can definitely tell though, listening to it, that this was a breakthrough album. It definitely feels like it captures, and even introduces a cultural moment. Good stuff, good stuff. I'm excited to listen to a Tupac album or two and start forming an opinion on that old debate.
Biggie's voice is one of his greatest assets. Just a great, husky, low voice, and an incredible flow. I'm not really a connoisseur of hip hop (one of my goals this year was to acquaint myself with the classics of the genre, this is step one) so I don't know how to compare his talents with other artists, except to say that my impressions ended up matching the reviews I pre-read.
The album is constructed really well, in terms of tonal shifts. There are very interesting transitions- the album begins as track after track of relentlessly violent, blustery, hardcore crime stories; shifts into smug sexual prowess with dapples of humor; opens into some more vulnerable, introspective perspectives on crime and sex; mixes in a couple 'Godfather' tracks where he's at the zenith of material power and confidence; and closes with some dramatic swings- intensely dark, vulnerable, and depressed, followed by a return to the angry, cocky criminal vibe, and finally an epilogue of goofy, smug misogyny.
Altogether I found the themes a little redundant after a while, but a lot of brilliant beats and countless brilliant, powerful lines. I don't think I'd listen to the entire album for fun, but a few tracks are truly astonishing.
Some of my favorites… the Intro itself sets an incredible tone, tells the story from his birth to this moment with just a few samples and scenes- very, very cool and exciting track. "Things Done Changed" is my absolute favorite of his crime story songs- it's a mile better than his others, in my opinion. Brutal, candid, terrifying, tragic, with a great beat and memorable lyrics. It serves as both a lament and a declaration- Biggie is on the scene. "Everyday Struggle" is another favorite- it captures the sadness and anxiety of the criminal lifestyle, with a great beat. "Juicy" and "Big Poppa" are both classics, and I liked them. Those are the tracks I would probably go out of my way to listen to again. The rest of the album varied from pretty good to meh.
You can definitely tell though, listening to it, that this was a breakthrough album. It definitely feels like it captures, and even introduces a cultural moment. Good stuff, good stuff. I'm excited to listen to a Tupac album or two and start forming an opinion on that old debate.
Sunday, January 11, 2009
album #5
keep your eyes ahead (the helio sequence)
This album grew on me. I really liked the avclub's description- it sounds like new wave, if it had grown older and more mature. "Can't Say No" I love, maybe the single song I love most out of the albums I've heard this year. Passionate, great hook, a really nice indie pop/ new wave sound, cool vocals. It's the second track of the album, and the first track ("Lately") is also pretty good. In that sense, the album peaks rather early. The rest of it is pretty solid though. Most of the rest of the album are good, likable songs, still catchy, but maybe a little slower or more muted than my maximum preference. "Shed Your Love" reminds me of Simon and Garfunkel. "Keep Your Eyes Ahead" is a song that, I'm not sure if I like it on its own, but within the flow of the album- as an upward surge after one or two slower, darker tracks- works very well. And "Hallelujah" really grew on me, it's a pretty cool track.
Good stuff, I'd certainly be interested to hear more of their work.
This album grew on me. I really liked the avclub's description- it sounds like new wave, if it had grown older and more mature. "Can't Say No" I love, maybe the single song I love most out of the albums I've heard this year. Passionate, great hook, a really nice indie pop/ new wave sound, cool vocals. It's the second track of the album, and the first track ("Lately") is also pretty good. In that sense, the album peaks rather early. The rest of it is pretty solid though. Most of the rest of the album are good, likable songs, still catchy, but maybe a little slower or more muted than my maximum preference. "Shed Your Love" reminds me of Simon and Garfunkel. "Keep Your Eyes Ahead" is a song that, I'm not sure if I like it on its own, but within the flow of the album- as an upward surge after one or two slower, darker tracks- works very well. And "Hallelujah" really grew on me, it's a pretty cool track.
Good stuff, I'd certainly be interested to hear more of their work.
Saturday, January 10, 2009
exhibit #1
Joan Miro: Painting and Anti-Painting, 1927-1937 (Moma)
I saw the first half of this exhibit in December, the second half today. One thing I'm gonna do this year is take notes when I go to museums- really reflect on what I'm seeing, and draw my own interpretations. I intend to add photo links to this entry. In the meantime, here is the online catalogue.
Painting, 1927. The white splash= inspiration. the rectangle= moment. the lines= discipline. the dots= the intersection, the destiny. It's an interpretation of the creative process. And it's color and it's sublime, but also miniscule. unremarkable. the grand, dramatic construction, and yet- "is this it?"
(Look up: illusionistic, as used in academic art history)
golden-brown color of unprimed canvass, evokes old newspapers or Rauschenberg
(Look up: Miro's Spanish Dancers)
portrait of a dancer- very cool
La Fornatina, Raphael
Dutch Interior (I) is PeeWee's Playhouse
Portrait of Queen Louise- He mocks the idea of a frame with a preening second frame. The corners of his room, shadeless, could be either inverted or shooting out into space. and the room is not even concrete, the black rectangle on the end- and the figure exists between the two walls.
In one of the collages... the foreground image suggests a weather vane, a direction, a field. And the background suggests planets, stars, galaxies. The circles all suggest different scales of size. The mundane and the heavenly- are they opposites or are they extensions of eachother?
His collages have some of the humor of his interiors, wuth the spareness and palette of his earlier works. You can destroy art but you cannot murder knowledge; memory, active or recessive, learned influences, learned lessons of the paint, you cannot destroy it, no matter how hard you try. The learned, the past, informs everything.
I wonder when Calder was doing his stuff. One of these collages really looks like a mobile.
It's amazing to think, when Miro said, 'these are gonna be my valedictory paintings,' that these are what he chose to make.
Head looks like a vicious storm, rain, flocks of black birds... the central black smear is like a tumor or a smokey explosion. It truly looks like the obliteration of painting.
Object, with the bone, evokes an anatomical study brief. An illustration of the creature in its native habitat, next to its scientifically dissected corpse. Morbid, morbid satire. And it forces the question, which do we prefer, which feels realer and more alive- Miro's cartoony depiction of this living creature, or the dead corpse of a bone, right in front of us?
When did Picasso make his guitar? (1912). One of Miro's reliefs is very reminiscent
I love this object. The wire makes it loook like the painting was caught in a net, as though art is a wild creature which is captured and domesticated for the pleasure of idiot strangers like me.
I really enjoy this next room in the exhibit. These are the style of Miro works that originally piqued my interest- the beautiful, fog of color backgrounds; the clean, precise, surreal shapes. March 4, 1933 is delightful. It looks like a duel between the two figures. A duel, or jousting. Or courtship even- the figure seems to swoon as the other approaches.
Such beautiful, strange creatures.
One theme of Miro's evolution seems to be a seesaw between rich, imposing color and a palette of browns, grays, raw materials. It's a palette that brings to mind Cornell, Rauschenberg, and the Dadaists.
His weird figures still exists. His relationship with appropriation changes. In an earlier gallery he made his abstract paintings based off collages of photographed objects- now those photographed objects share space within the artworks themselves, undistorted.
...it's strange seeing photos of cute girls from the 1930s. Reminds me of a conversation earlier this week with JD- think of the thousands of the most beautiful girls in history, born before photography, their faces will never be known.
When postcards of people, old fashioned romantic people, exist in the same canvass as Miro's whimsical creatures, it reminds me of Wall•E.
Pastels- and once again, a palette seesaw towards color.
The face of "woman" bears a great resemblance to the faces of Picasso's women. Not saying it's a deliberate homage- but an interesting similarity in their artistic visions.
Head of a Man- gorgeous blends of color.
His next gallery is described as a "self-orchestrated retrospective." Paintings on cardboard that seek to fuse some of his previous approaches.
One of the objects in this gallery is a sculpture of sorts, a painted tree stump with a coiled spring and some other elements. And the spring is actually trembling. It is absolutely haunting. It's like everything else here is evidence, but this object is a living witness, a participant. It reminds me so much of the earlier gallery, with the objects that evoked creatures in captivity.
The Farmer's Meal also reminds me of PeeWee's Playhouse.
Two Women is one of his most texturally interesting works, and the deep blue palette is quite beautiful.
Man and Woman in Front of a Pile of Excrement- beautiful, fierce color.
These tiny landscapes, it feels like its own planet- a weird, tiny world. There's a hotness and a dryness to most these landscapes. All of these characters look doomed, like they're lost in a desert… helpless is the word for all of this.
The Two Philosophers is funny. They look like a pair of weird idiots. There is one strange object between them, I like to think of Miro kindof mocking his audience- that the two philosophers, like any of us, are debating the meaning or identity of that weird object.
Personages attracted by the Form of a Mountain is also pretty funny. All these creatures crawling towards the mountain shape- what is it? art? power? I think of all these paintings, the sense of lost-ness, and this one is like a slice of the narrative- the characters in search of a landmark, a direction.
The Final Gallery. There truly is a sense of, recurrence and fusion. The brown, unprimed canvass palette, a focus on thick texture. Not as many of the weird characters. It reminds me of the first gallery, but now informed with the richness and strangeness of the ten years of innovation. The textural elements are much more savage- somewhat like his big ugly valedictory works. Some of the smears truly look like rocky vomit or shit.
Damn, Still Life with Old Shoe is So different from everything else he was doing. Painting from life, with intense, beautiful, hallucinogenic color. "Both still life and landscape," as moma describes it. This work makes for a fascinating epilogue- Miro has explored and conquered all of these techniques. "What's next?" someone asks. "Well," he says, "Whatever's next, of course." and then he rides off into the sunset.
I saw the first half of this exhibit in December, the second half today. One thing I'm gonna do this year is take notes when I go to museums- really reflect on what I'm seeing, and draw my own interpretations. I intend to add photo links to this entry. In the meantime, here is the online catalogue.
Painting, 1927. The white splash= inspiration. the rectangle= moment. the lines= discipline. the dots= the intersection, the destiny. It's an interpretation of the creative process. And it's color and it's sublime, but also miniscule. unremarkable. the grand, dramatic construction, and yet- "is this it?"
(Look up: illusionistic, as used in academic art history)
golden-brown color of unprimed canvass, evokes old newspapers or Rauschenberg
(Look up: Miro's Spanish Dancers)
portrait of a dancer- very cool
La Fornatina, Raphael
Dutch Interior (I) is PeeWee's Playhouse
Portrait of Queen Louise- He mocks the idea of a frame with a preening second frame. The corners of his room, shadeless, could be either inverted or shooting out into space. and the room is not even concrete, the black rectangle on the end- and the figure exists between the two walls.
In one of the collages... the foreground image suggests a weather vane, a direction, a field. And the background suggests planets, stars, galaxies. The circles all suggest different scales of size. The mundane and the heavenly- are they opposites or are they extensions of eachother?
His collages have some of the humor of his interiors, wuth the spareness and palette of his earlier works. You can destroy art but you cannot murder knowledge; memory, active or recessive, learned influences, learned lessons of the paint, you cannot destroy it, no matter how hard you try. The learned, the past, informs everything.
I wonder when Calder was doing his stuff. One of these collages really looks like a mobile.
It's amazing to think, when Miro said, 'these are gonna be my valedictory paintings,' that these are what he chose to make.
Head looks like a vicious storm, rain, flocks of black birds... the central black smear is like a tumor or a smokey explosion. It truly looks like the obliteration of painting.
Object, with the bone, evokes an anatomical study brief. An illustration of the creature in its native habitat, next to its scientifically dissected corpse. Morbid, morbid satire. And it forces the question, which do we prefer, which feels realer and more alive- Miro's cartoony depiction of this living creature, or the dead corpse of a bone, right in front of us?
When did Picasso make his guitar? (1912). One of Miro's reliefs is very reminiscent
I love this object. The wire makes it loook like the painting was caught in a net, as though art is a wild creature which is captured and domesticated for the pleasure of idiot strangers like me.
I really enjoy this next room in the exhibit. These are the style of Miro works that originally piqued my interest- the beautiful, fog of color backgrounds; the clean, precise, surreal shapes. March 4, 1933 is delightful. It looks like a duel between the two figures. A duel, or jousting. Or courtship even- the figure seems to swoon as the other approaches.
Such beautiful, strange creatures.
One theme of Miro's evolution seems to be a seesaw between rich, imposing color and a palette of browns, grays, raw materials. It's a palette that brings to mind Cornell, Rauschenberg, and the Dadaists.
His weird figures still exists. His relationship with appropriation changes. In an earlier gallery he made his abstract paintings based off collages of photographed objects- now those photographed objects share space within the artworks themselves, undistorted.
...it's strange seeing photos of cute girls from the 1930s. Reminds me of a conversation earlier this week with JD- think of the thousands of the most beautiful girls in history, born before photography, their faces will never be known.
When postcards of people, old fashioned romantic people, exist in the same canvass as Miro's whimsical creatures, it reminds me of Wall•E.
Pastels- and once again, a palette seesaw towards color.
The face of "woman" bears a great resemblance to the faces of Picasso's women. Not saying it's a deliberate homage- but an interesting similarity in their artistic visions.
Head of a Man- gorgeous blends of color.
His next gallery is described as a "self-orchestrated retrospective." Paintings on cardboard that seek to fuse some of his previous approaches.
One of the objects in this gallery is a sculpture of sorts, a painted tree stump with a coiled spring and some other elements. And the spring is actually trembling. It is absolutely haunting. It's like everything else here is evidence, but this object is a living witness, a participant. It reminds me so much of the earlier gallery, with the objects that evoked creatures in captivity.
The Farmer's Meal also reminds me of PeeWee's Playhouse.
Two Women is one of his most texturally interesting works, and the deep blue palette is quite beautiful.
Man and Woman in Front of a Pile of Excrement- beautiful, fierce color.
These tiny landscapes, it feels like its own planet- a weird, tiny world. There's a hotness and a dryness to most these landscapes. All of these characters look doomed, like they're lost in a desert… helpless is the word for all of this.
The Two Philosophers is funny. They look like a pair of weird idiots. There is one strange object between them, I like to think of Miro kindof mocking his audience- that the two philosophers, like any of us, are debating the meaning or identity of that weird object.
Personages attracted by the Form of a Mountain is also pretty funny. All these creatures crawling towards the mountain shape- what is it? art? power? I think of all these paintings, the sense of lost-ness, and this one is like a slice of the narrative- the characters in search of a landmark, a direction.
The Final Gallery. There truly is a sense of, recurrence and fusion. The brown, unprimed canvass palette, a focus on thick texture. Not as many of the weird characters. It reminds me of the first gallery, but now informed with the richness and strangeness of the ten years of innovation. The textural elements are much more savage- somewhat like his big ugly valedictory works. Some of the smears truly look like rocky vomit or shit.
Damn, Still Life with Old Shoe is So different from everything else he was doing. Painting from life, with intense, beautiful, hallucinogenic color. "Both still life and landscape," as moma describes it. This work makes for a fascinating epilogue- Miro has explored and conquered all of these techniques. "What's next?" someone asks. "Well," he says, "Whatever's next, of course." and then he rides off into the sunset.
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
album #4
the freeep (matt pond pa)
Matt Pond PA is an old favorite of mine. They're a wintry band- there's always a sense of emptiness in their sound. a beauty and an elegance, but a lingering sense of softness, of empty spaces. They permanently define the winter of '04-05 for me, I always like to hear more of them, so I was really pleased to discover that they had a free ep (titled the freeep) available on their website. There's a yearning optimism in this album, mixed with their classic winter tenderness. There's a few instrumental tracks too, my favorite of which is #1, the album's closer. Some of the tracks are forgettable, but Hearts and Minds and First Light are especially good tracks. Good hooks, uplifting spirit. This album isn't an automatic favorite, but it's the sort of music I generally lean towards- poppy, hooky, an indie lean, an optimistic tone. I'm not gonna start grading albums, but I can't stop thinking B/B+ when I think of the freeep.
Matt Pond PA is an old favorite of mine. They're a wintry band- there's always a sense of emptiness in their sound. a beauty and an elegance, but a lingering sense of softness, of empty spaces. They permanently define the winter of '04-05 for me, I always like to hear more of them, so I was really pleased to discover that they had a free ep (titled the freeep) available on their website. There's a yearning optimism in this album, mixed with their classic winter tenderness. There's a few instrumental tracks too, my favorite of which is #1, the album's closer. Some of the tracks are forgettable, but Hearts and Minds and First Light are especially good tracks. Good hooks, uplifting spirit. This album isn't an automatic favorite, but it's the sort of music I generally lean towards- poppy, hooky, an indie lean, an optimistic tone. I'm not gonna start grading albums, but I can't stop thinking B/B+ when I think of the freeep.
Monday, January 5, 2009
album #3
dummy (portishead)
Very chill music. Indie coffee shop music. My favorite tracks are Biscuit (the song that made me want to hear the whole album), Sour Times and It Could Be Sweet. A few years ago I bought that Amy Winehouse album, because I was hungry for a particular vintage 60s Bond vibe- and it came close, but wasn't really what I liked. I got into Dummy also hoping that it would give me that fix. Sour Times probably comes closing to hitting the nail on the head. The songs in general have a darkness and a sadness to them- especially the middle of the album, which somewhat sags with loneliness. But I liked this album. The bad tracks are sad and droopy, the good tracks are sad but mysterious and sensual. I'll probably look into other music by Portishead, later in the year.
Very chill music. Indie coffee shop music. My favorite tracks are Biscuit (the song that made me want to hear the whole album), Sour Times and It Could Be Sweet. A few years ago I bought that Amy Winehouse album, because I was hungry for a particular vintage 60s Bond vibe- and it came close, but wasn't really what I liked. I got into Dummy also hoping that it would give me that fix. Sour Times probably comes closing to hitting the nail on the head. The songs in general have a darkness and a sadness to them- especially the middle of the album, which somewhat sags with loneliness. But I liked this album. The bad tracks are sad and droopy, the good tracks are sad but mysterious and sensual. I'll probably look into other music by Portishead, later in the year.
Sunday recap
This was a pretty solid day. I slept very late and didn't do too much at home, but I submitted the fount story last night, plus I saw a good improv show this evening and then performed in a pretty fun show afterwards. and I got my sweater back, lost it at the NYE party.
on Tuesday and Wednesday I'll be at a job. It's time to get back on track.
12 pm- wake up, call Juan, check if he's coming. If he's coming, spend that time reading Grant or making your 2009 album lists. If he's not coming, exercise
1 pm-groceries: chicken, milk, carrots, etc.
1.30 pm- post prez sentence and tumblr drawing. email team922 about cage. check clist/actax
2 pm- exercise, if you didn't earlier; if you did, read Grant.
3 pm- lunch and brainstorm cartoons. Translate one or two of your best ideas from December into true drafts (goal for this week: translate five of the ideas into true drafts)
4 pm- take out the trash if it's full. shower
4.30 pm- walk to 145th, copy mail key.
5 pm- listen to portishead album, and wikipedia hour. write reflections
6 pm- clean your room (good habit to stay ahead of it, always try to straighten things up) use the remaining time this hour to begin sorting your bag of papers.
7 pm- break
7.30 pm- call VK (but don't meet up tonight, need to rest).
other things to do this week: meet up with WG, get new jeans, and (probably other things I can't think of at the moment)
on Tuesday and Wednesday I'll be at a job. It's time to get back on track.
12 pm- wake up, call Juan, check if he's coming. If he's coming, spend that time reading Grant or making your 2009 album lists. If he's not coming, exercise
1 pm-groceries: chicken, milk, carrots, etc.
1.30 pm- post prez sentence and tumblr drawing. email team922 about cage. check clist/actax
2 pm- exercise, if you didn't earlier; if you did, read Grant.
3 pm- lunch and brainstorm cartoons. Translate one or two of your best ideas from December into true drafts (goal for this week: translate five of the ideas into true drafts)
4 pm- take out the trash if it's full. shower
4.30 pm- walk to 145th, copy mail key.
5 pm- listen to portishead album, and wikipedia hour. write reflections
6 pm- clean your room (good habit to stay ahead of it, always try to straighten things up) use the remaining time this hour to begin sorting your bag of papers.
7 pm- break
7.30 pm- call VK (but don't meet up tonight, need to rest).
other things to do this week: meet up with WG, get new jeans, and (probably other things I can't think of at the moment)
Saturday, January 3, 2009
album #2
feed the animals (girl talk)
This is a pretty solid album, definitely grew on me. It's not the sort of thing I inherently love, but I could imagine fucking Loving this on the dance floor.
It's a brilliant flow, it all runs from one song to the other from beginning to end. In a way, the begin-and-end marks for the songs are artificial barriers, and the entire thing is one tapestry. Also the album grows very well, each track gets more exhilirating and well crafted than the previous.
his specialty, as other reviews have attested, is mocking and undercutting the sincerity of love songs (and love itself). Some of my favorite moments are whenever he really nails the contradictions in love songs and relationships (I know that I- and I'm sure, almost all people- have had their relationships where one person is thinking 'nothing compares to you' and the other thinks 'I was gettin some head'). Of course, the contradictions aren't meanspirited or cynical, he seems to mainly have a fun, party vibe to it. it's all a big playful celebration of sexual debauchery.
Also I really loved certain moments when he sampled beats from particular pop classics that I love- come on eileen, big country, young hearts, you got it. Girl Talk reminds me of Warhol and Family Guy and generally the schools of art and pop culture that are all about reclamation and presentation and repackaging. He takes what we already love and re-presents it. So it feels natural that the parts I love most are the parts I recognize most. That's the nature of this particular art form, it encourages, and somewhat depends on, our love of the familiar. Still, I gotta credit him for remixing and mashing up with pretty sublime creativity and a relentless sense of fun.
One of the things that limits my appreciation of the album is, I'm not really a big rap fan. Or rather, I can get into the beats, but I'm not really in love with the lyrics on their own. (My tastes are generally guided by music more than lyrics- throughout this album I generally felt 'eh' about the lyrics, except when they matched particularly strong swings in the music). That said, I would like to hear mashups with more rap beats and rock lyrics, since this album was entirely the reverse
This is a pretty solid album, definitely grew on me. It's not the sort of thing I inherently love, but I could imagine fucking Loving this on the dance floor.
It's a brilliant flow, it all runs from one song to the other from beginning to end. In a way, the begin-and-end marks for the songs are artificial barriers, and the entire thing is one tapestry. Also the album grows very well, each track gets more exhilirating and well crafted than the previous.
his specialty, as other reviews have attested, is mocking and undercutting the sincerity of love songs (and love itself). Some of my favorite moments are whenever he really nails the contradictions in love songs and relationships (I know that I- and I'm sure, almost all people- have had their relationships where one person is thinking 'nothing compares to you' and the other thinks 'I was gettin some head'). Of course, the contradictions aren't meanspirited or cynical, he seems to mainly have a fun, party vibe to it. it's all a big playful celebration of sexual debauchery.
Also I really loved certain moments when he sampled beats from particular pop classics that I love- come on eileen, big country, young hearts, you got it. Girl Talk reminds me of Warhol and Family Guy and generally the schools of art and pop culture that are all about reclamation and presentation and repackaging. He takes what we already love and re-presents it. So it feels natural that the parts I love most are the parts I recognize most. That's the nature of this particular art form, it encourages, and somewhat depends on, our love of the familiar. Still, I gotta credit him for remixing and mashing up with pretty sublime creativity and a relentless sense of fun.
One of the things that limits my appreciation of the album is, I'm not really a big rap fan. Or rather, I can get into the beats, but I'm not really in love with the lyrics on their own. (My tastes are generally guided by music more than lyrics- throughout this album I generally felt 'eh' about the lyrics, except when they matched particularly strong swings in the music). That said, I would like to hear mashups with more rap beats and rock lyrics, since this album was entirely the reverse
the weekend
I got sick this weekend, so a few of my habits are derailed right now- really haven't exercised, for instance. After New Years, pretty hungover, then I spent a long, intense mix of time writing the fount story, and doing a lot of computer nonsense to kill time/take breaks from writing. then my roommate got back from vacation so we spent some time hanging out. the main accomplishments recently:
got a couple new albums (Girl Talk, Feed the Animals and Matt Pond PA, Freeep). Intense writing efforts, close to done with the fount story. Produced a few xtranormal videos with my roommate, some pretty cool little gems I think. And we brainstormed some more cartoons.
Today I'm resting up, hopefully get back on track with things on monday. Remember, you don't need to score an A+ every single day, but always make an effort to work.
Big Things for the rest of the day:
finish and submit the fount story. post prez sentence. wikipedia hour
got a couple new albums (Girl Talk, Feed the Animals and Matt Pond PA, Freeep). Intense writing efforts, close to done with the fount story. Produced a few xtranormal videos with my roommate, some pretty cool little gems I think. And we brainstormed some more cartoons.
Today I'm resting up, hopefully get back on track with things on monday. Remember, you don't need to score an A+ every single day, but always make an effort to work.
Big Things for the rest of the day:
finish and submit the fount story. post prez sentence. wikipedia hour
Thursday, January 1, 2009
Wednesday, Thursday
Wednesday: cleaned the living room, bathroom and kitchen. ate reasonably well. cartoon submission came back from King Features- no sale, but oh well, good to have tried. Party was an absolute great time, really good one.
Thursday: mostly rested off hangover. not a particularly productive day. Trying to finish this fount story tonight, that's the day's main objective. I think a few off days, considering that this is the holiday season, is acceptable. But starting tomorrow you should really throw yourself back into the patterns you want to get into- exercise, the wikipedia hour, looking up an album, and also- you need to start compiling your list of albums and list of books. this will be helped when JD gets back.
low key, unremarkable pair of days, on the accomplishment front. But things are okay. Tomorrow start gearing up again. And tonight, write your story.
Thursday: mostly rested off hangover. not a particularly productive day. Trying to finish this fount story tonight, that's the day's main objective. I think a few off days, considering that this is the holiday season, is acceptable. But starting tomorrow you should really throw yourself back into the patterns you want to get into- exercise, the wikipedia hour, looking up an album, and also- you need to start compiling your list of albums and list of books. this will be helped when JD gets back.
low key, unremarkable pair of days, on the accomplishment front. But things are okay. Tomorrow start gearing up again. And tonight, write your story.
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