More moving, more rock n' roll

I've been rather caught up in navigating the trans-continental bureaucratic morass for the last week, so apologies to any regular readers who may (or may not) be reading this and are expecting regular content. Hopefully I'll have more time/energy/love to spend on this thing once the move is complete.

In the mean time, here is a link to the really fascinating documentary on the history of Twin Cities rock n' roll that they broadcast on MPR last week. I know getting hyped up about contradictory artforms is so last week, but the idea of cobbling together a history of people who in many cases explicitly rejected the very idea of ties to pre-existing history is extremely cool to me; watching the baby-boomer cultural revolution slowly fall from rejection of the cultural status quo to become the status quo itself even cooler.

Speaking of which, here are the Suicide Commandos playing in front of their house as it goes up in flames.

Where the anti-lope roam...

At some point I want to write an essay about how the diffusion of cheap visual technology and the medium of the internet have revived craftsmanship as an artistic ideal. In a perfect world, it would start at a factory somewhere in Asia where the means for the shift are being produced at an industrial scale, and then shift to the West, where artists are using these technologies in ways that acknowledge its mass-produced origins, but create things that are beautiful precisely because someone made them by hand. Of course, I'll probably never have the money to make the requisite trips to Asia, so that part will remain a dream, but it's still a cool idea; there's so many facets to this story that are just waiting to be written on. Is this a move away from the nihilistic technologism that's dominated art since Warhol? Or just a new facet of it? How does it reflect its economic understructure? Etc.

Regardless of whether I ever make it to Asia, whenever I try to write about this, Theo Jansen will figure prominently in it, since his work is so extraordinary and captures so much of what this movement towards craftsmanship is about.

Here's a not great video of him giving a lecture about his creations:


I highly recommend poking around his website... He's got some beautiful photography of his creatures up there that really conveys the majesty of his creations, something that's lost in the TED lecture.

Tom Lehrer, your reign is ended

World-k-lele

Apparently ukulele-love is more widespread than anyone imagined. Thanks, New York Times.

Dot Matrix Printers and Plane Tickets

The family is currently repainting most of the doorways in the house, which requires lots of standing around with a face mask with a radial sander. Gripping stuff indeed. Luckily, it's grinding monotone reminded me of this clip from the mini-series Subsonics, which aired in Australia and profiled a whole pile of interesting avant-garde people. Here's one nice lady who got excited about dot matrix printers.



In other news, the section of this blog concerned with my adventures in Canada can now officially begin. The ticket is bought, the fellowship is in place, and I will soon be off to the great north. (Which, incidentally, is at a lower longitude than Minneapolis.) I've really gotten to enjoy the feeling of complete disbelief that comes over me in the weeks before I do something radically new with myself... Particularly when it comes just as I've finally acclimated to my surroundings and thus feel it incomprehensible that things might be different. But they will be, and sooner than I think.

It is, however, frustrating to be leaving town as my least favorite part of the year ends and the most interesting part is about to begin. Alas. I suppose I can write about the Canadian response to the destruction of downtown St. Paul while crying into my food.

Lawrence Welk: Herald of Postmodernity? Pt. 2

Well, this just about captures the entire post-war cultural dynamic. Is this the beginnings of the culture war, the absorption of Bohemia into the middle class, or just a terrible, terrible mistake?

Big in the other ex-Axis power

Many people don't know about the Monks outside of Germany, where they had their big hit. This is a shame, since not only were they rightful precursors of both punk and psychedelic, but they also had truly daring haircuts and the best group-guitar solos I've heard anywhere. (Two things, incidentally, that the Velvet Underground decisively lacked.)



Hat tip to Huck Brock's shirt for reminding me of these guys. (One of the Monks is his great uncle.)

Lawrence Welk: Herald of Postmodernity?

Or just poor fashion sense? (Is there a distinction?)

You think you can defeat me with your rebellious beard?

My men are too strong and virile!

Or just stand there looking awkward, that's fine too.

Before there were music videos, there were... office chairs? (And cool piano riffs after the refrains!)




Props to Kiera of Velveteens fame for pointing this out.