The gods will not save you

I'm going to go against all my 'positivity' from Monday's post. I hope you heeded my advice.

At any rate, I found an interesting story from another person trying to fix up my hometown of Pittsburgh, PA. This is another example of an artist working to save his or her hometown. I love the arts, I really do, despite my deconstructionist tendencies which say that art is 'decadent' and self-serving. I think the arts, in particular the public arts, are valuable resources of any healthy democracy. So in one sense I commend the gentleman in this article who is working to change Pittsburgh through the arts. Yet at the same time, I caution those who think that ART will change a city in decline. It is as weak of an argument as the one claiming that stadiums and convention centers will 'revitalize' a city. The arts are cool and even necessary, but will not save us. People in dead-end neighborhoods with high unemployment and the other associated problems need one thing, jobs! You can have all the art in the world, but it is worthless without gainfully employed individuals to enjoy it.

Please tell me a city that is defined by art? Perhaps in the distant past a city or 3 could eek out an existence as manufacturers of a particular craft or form of artwork. Maybe an city in the Renaissance existed solely to produce violins or something. But this was a niche and used for export. The problem with America is that we don't make anything, and you can fill as many offices as you want with 'high-tech' workers and coffee shop programmers and boutique clothing store operators and what not, but you will never replace manufacturing jobs. People say our economy 'advanced'. Did it? Or did those jobs just move elsewhere and people were left behind? It isn't like our world isn't manufacturing things anymore, we still buy cars and clothes and tvs, but that stuff is made in China or Mexico or wherever else the cheapest wages and environmental standards are at the moment.

So back to art. If a city isn't making anything (which few American cities are) then it is successful by at least managing the money used to make stuff. This is one reason artists are in NYC or LA or SF. Those cities are big into the arts because they are huge population centers because they once MADE STUFF (yes, even LA!--it beat out Detroit's manufacturing prowess in the 50s!) and those cities now have enough money to manage investments elsewhere, and the money made can then be used to buy art.

My long winded point is this, good luck to you who try and save the city through art or nightclubs, or a dining scene. Unfortunately, that is all window dressing. If you don't have good jobs to employ people who will waste their leisure time and money on those things, then the city falls. And fall it will. I love vibrant cities with entertainment and clean streets, but I also like places with an employed population. I would rather we all have jobs in some boring city than 10% of us living it up in the artist district while the rest of the city sinks in poverty. Enjoy America as it crumbles and becomes irrelevant and I guess use art to save someone because the other options (drugs, gangs, boredom) are far worse. But remember, you can't save your city, though you might be able to save each other.

BTW, if I haven't destroyed all your hope, here is the article that started this
http://americancity.org/article.php?id_article=318

America Must Change

It's winter and I'm super cold-my coat was stealthily removed from me at a bar last nite as the temperature hovered 'round -10. The Packers lost, New England will win the Super Bowl, and I'm starting to think this whole thing is as staged as WWF or as fixed as boxing. But www-wwait it gets worse! There is a presidential race!! A race w/a bunch of morons talking about nothing. Hmmm, have we heard ANYTHING about the massive trade deficit? No. About the dollar being worthless!? About our shitty infrastructure? Our debt and the looming recession? No. Our cities are shameful places ignored by everyone who can afford to. And we have no energy policy of value, no plan to deal with real issues facing our country. No, of course not. But there are plenty of poised and driven men and a woman who claim to have answers. Granted none of us know what the answers are, but they have them, if we only vote for them.

This presidential ignorance to our problems angers me, but negativity is of no use to me right now-I've had enough. Today is the day to celebrate Dr. King's life and work, however you do it. You might volunteer, listen to a speech, attend an event, or simply clean your kitchen on this day off (for the lucky). Frankly, I don't care what you do, but you really need to think about the state of this country and the direction it is in. Do more than bash the "other's" stupid and obtuse behaviors. You (and surely I) need to think about what we're doing and not doing and how we can actually try and impact this country in a positive way. Yeah this IS elementary school type stuff I'm suggesting, but to DO something different is much harder than the movies make it seem. So think long and hard, pray if your inclined, and look around and try to realize that if we keep going down this road as a nation things will only get worse. While China, Korea, Saudi Arabia and others build grand new cities, America continues to decay. This needs to stop.

I have no answer as to what you or I should do. But if we simply zone out into our computers, music, tv, and entertainment-maybe even laced w/a chemical additive, nothing will get better. Toss away the distracting amenities for a minute and think. I'll get back to you later.

For now and because this is a part-time music blog check out this old Raheem Devaughn track that speaks to this conundrum: "Who"-by Raheem Devaughn-'The Love Experience'
and asks us:
"Who's gonna really care? Who's gonna take us there?
Who's gonna change their life? Who's gonna pay the price?
Who's gonna take a stand? Who's gonna live for love?"

I wonder and I also think I know the answer.

If M.I.A. could only sing

If M.I.A. could sing we might be blessed with something amazing, but unfortunately she can't so we get a gimmicky mashing of styles with thin vocals and incoherent chants. But there is hope if you like the idea of M.I.A. but realize that the lps just aren't up to the hype (though I might still buy them both). The hope is in Santogold. Her music is something else huh? New Wave, dubby, electro-pop with 'real singing'!! Funny how that is a blessing these days, like, "Man you gotta check out this artist, she can actually sing!"

If you ever listened to the great cd How Do I? by Res, you might be surprised to know that Santogold, or Santi White, co-wrote most the the songs! She also put out a decent album fronting the punk group Stiffed, then hid out in Brooklyn or Micronesia or someplace and came out with this mad mix of sounds. Think MIA, Spank Rock, and the mashing up of genres we get b/c of djs like Diplo. Funny thing is this gal can sing, really well infact, and has the swagger and attitude and style and other BS you need to be popular for more than 5 weeks.

To scrap at the tip of another iceberg she might also be part of a large wave of emerging black artists who don't feel the need to be conformed by the contemporary trappings of hip-hop and R&B, as seen by other artists like J*Davey and what the NYTimes calls blipsters (sic).

Perhaps this post is just me pandering to hipsters instead of discussing useful matters such as the transportation nightmare our country is in, or the collapsing housing market, or even the depressing war. But we all like music and need a little something to keep ignoring reality. Though I think her music might force us to pay attention to the world outside of our smoky dive bars and facebook accounts at least once in a while.

Now the bad news. Santogold doesn't even having anything released yet! Which actually fits perfectly into today's underground hipster hype machine. Isn't everything better without an actual release? Then you don't have any material through which to pass judgement and shatter you musical hopes/hypes. As someone who loves new music, (but hates 98% of what is out there since 1990) I am truly hopeful about her 'impending' release. Though I said the same about Amy Winehouse and she is on the verge of an understandable self-destruction. It is that 'hope' in new artists like this that keeps me going.

Here is an old Stiffed video. If I'd been an A&R man this might have charted alongside the best of No Doubt, but instead vanished into the dustbins of music history.



Listen to her tracks now at the appropriately named site Hypemachine

Then support her by requesting the music on your local radio (like the fabulous 88.9MKE) or see a show or be on the lookout for a release.

Empanadas are the new cupcakes

Yes, I know, Youtube posts are the sign of extreme laziness. But this clip is just too hilarious to pass up. It is a little long, but worth it. Another sign that my generation's attempts at bucking the system are hyper-consumerism and selfishness. Oh well. Onward, to the Hipster Olympics!



If you enjoyed this, you may also want to hunt down the film Groove Tube for the hilarious "Sex Olympics" sketch.

Reluctant Gay Icon

Thanks to the kindness of a friend I was able to see Rufus Wainwright at the Pabst Theater Monday night. Strange thing is, until I was offered the tickets, I had no idea he was even playing. I also knew none of his new songs and hadn't heard anything of his since the Poses era stuff, 3 albums ago. Granted I'd seen Rufus at the 9:30 Club way back in 2002, but my have things changed. No longer was he the long haired youth playing the piano alone; now he confidently stood in front of a large band, occasionally tickled the keys, and played the guitar; along with 3 other guitarists, a bass player, drummer, and 2/3 horns. But his voice is still unique and powerful. I went with no expectations but the hope to hear "Cigarettes & Chocolate Milk".

Performing to a packed crowd at the Pabst, Milwaukee's gay community came out in full force. It is worth noting a few things: the band were in absurd designer costumes, there was less playful banter than before, and the whole event was being taped for a DVD. Therefore they redid songs and re-started songs a few times. I didn't realize how popular the guy was/is until the show, not only was the venue packed, but fans knew every song, stood, screamed, and were emotionally moved at every lyric. I enjoyed it, but have to admit I was yawning at points and often more interested in watching the roving filmmakers than the band. That isn't to say it was a dull show, just that I was tired, knew none of his music, and frankly preferred the mellow tunes to the slightly dance and rock oriented numbers being thumped about.

The early set consisted of mellow tracks with heavy acoustic guitars. My references are limited, so it reminded me of Dreamland era Aztec Camera and Ryuichi Sakamoto. Later there were straight up dark tracks, then a slew of Judy Garland covers, some Celtic ballads, and rocking stuff from the new cd.

I have nothing else to say about the show other than the random things it brought to my mind. For example, my brother had an idea that music fans are like sports fans and instead of talking about athletes we talk about this drummer from this band is moving to this band, instead of the linebacker is being traded from The Bears to The Falcons. I know it is a strange idea, but kinda true, especially with most music buffs not to athletic (not even into armchair athletics). Having missed 5 years of Rufus' music reminded me of my own inability to stay in touch with pro sports when I once knew minor league goalies who later went to the NHL All-Star team. Or I think that Mark Messier is still playing in Edmonton (FYI he retired after NYC). I feel the same way about music, that when I stopped listening, time stopped. Rufus Wainwright should still have long hair, smoke during the set (which he didn't do), be on dope, and sing "Cigarettes and Chocolate Milk". Well, 5 busy years came and went and people did stuff, and changed, and well, that is life. I just can't be bothered.

What else, hmmm...Rufus dressed in Lederhosen for the Milwaukee crowd which was a nice touch. He also invited fans and his current lover on stage for some antics. At the end of the show (which approached 2 hours!) the guitarist played a banjo to two swooning girls up front and I looked back at the mad crowed cheering for an encore and thought of the Joe Strummer show I saw 5 years ago and how the fans still cheered and wouldn't budge after 2 encores and the bouncers commenting that they'd never seen such devotion. I remember that show and almost cried remembering the acoustic version of "Island Hopping" Joe did as his 2nd encour . Anyway, enough indulgence. I left the show with my friend without seeing the encore. I guess I'll get a 2nd chance in 2012. Dag.

After arriving at home tired and bleary eyed, I couldn't go to bed because the perfect weather and full moon just demanded my attention!

FYI: I later read that the show went 3 hours, he dressed in drag, and did a choreographed dance with the band! Maybe we shoulda stayed a little while longer.

10 years later

This just in, after 10 years of hiatus, waiting, and scouring short stories collections for SOMETHING to satiate us, Junot Diaz is back!! Yes, this is no lie, read the Village Voice story. In case you didn't live in New Jersey when Diaz was heralded as a saviour, you need to look this guy up. His success in the mid-90s came for a number of reasons, a powerful new Dominican writer when there aren't many, an immigrant Jersey Boy (stories named Edison quantify this) who went to Rutgers and was blasting holes in the American Dream. The profs at Rutgers found anyway imaginable to squeeze his stories into the curriculum, no matter what the department. His prose then was lean, angry, and dirrrty. The kinda stuff that would seep onto the page like acid. One friend whom I made read Drown felt like she needed to take a shower afterwards. But it wasn't a dark book, just gritty and realistic, and blunt. I really love Drown, it is one of the few short story collections I've read and reread for the last 8 years. Now there is finally new material from Mr. Diaz. I haven't read the new book, and when I do I'll review it here. If you don't know about Junot, get his new book, The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, or find Drown at your library and read it now!!

Why blogs are no good

5. There are too many to try and navigate them all without successfully wasting your life.

4. If you are lucky enough to find a good blog it is usually defunct after a few months and the decent links long expired.

3. They are narcissistic looking glasses that serve no purpose but to help one kill time online and show off the useless trash the writer finds on the net.

2. Only 10% of those people posting blogs have anything interesting to say. Do I really need to know that you once played bass in a shoe-gazer band in 11th grade or have a fetish for grape Hubba-Bubba?

1. No one reads them! Why don't we all stop this nonsense and go back to journaling. Then the only person forced to trudge through someone else's self-absorbed ramblings are relatives that dig these journals out of the attic once you die.