SPEAK A&D BLOG

Reflections On The State Of Music In 2011

2011-12-18T15:08:00.001-05:00

REFLECTIONS ON THE STATE OF MUSIC IN 2011

or Why I Cannot Learn To Stop Worrying and LoveSpotify

"Ittakes effort and attention...like most things, the more it hurts, the more itmeans…"

– Frank Chimero commenting on The Tree Of Life

As true rock journalism has been replaced byblog/internet culture (which explains the ascendancy of the shoddy, short-sighted,pot-shot criticism of Pitchfork and their ilk) that seems to exist without correlationto rock history or lineage, it is as if many of the current rock “journalists”are so consumed with the post-modern tendency to simply link references ratherthan analyze with intelligence. It seems they cannot, or will not invest in theprocess of thoughtfully considering the work they are attempting to criticizebeyond the most superficial of connective elements (again I’m looking at youPitchfork).

Perhaps this tendency to connect rather thananalyze is due in part to the entire catalogue of recorded music literallybecoming available at your fingertips. This unprecedented access brings with ita wholly modern problem – access without filter; without a way to navigate thisbottomless pit of history the rock journalist of today can merely attempt toconnect like-objects in an attempt to plot a course in the wake of the collapseof the music industry. This is why I cannot learn to stop worrying and love Spotify—thediscrepancy between access and education, breakneck opportunity and analyticunderstanding is staggering.

Yes, it is a dream to be able to access anythingin the realm of music, but what are we losing? Unfettered musical access at thespeed of light often causes surface dismissal, on-to-the-next-thing, shallowinteraction (the topic of recent book TheShallows: What The Internet Is Doing To Our Brains). Rock criticism has nowbecome similar to Tumblr, but for music—a rapid succession of images that “look”significant or rather become symbols for significance rather than doors todeeper, more meaningful interaction. In short, many members of youthfulaudiences can discern what significance “looks like”, but cannot elucidate whythose images/peoples/texts/musics are actually significant. Imagine if you applied this method of criticism to other forms of art: if art history courses were onlyconstructed as Tumblr-style image sequences without discourse and crucialsupport/contextual information; that the annals of film were only a series ofYouTube clips; that the vast history of literature were only brief sentencesummaries or worse, context-free quotations (this already is the only way that most young people interactwith the classics—through Tumblr-loaded quotes or Disney-fied movie versions).

This lack of context positions all works of artto be of equal value as seen through the lens of an endless succession ofquickly viewed/listened to works; the truly substantial and the commonly mediocrebecome indiscernible in the anonymous rush of material hissing past at hurriedspeeds. We are at the top of the ladder in our ability to access, but withoutmeans of navigation, we are kicking out the rungs beneath us. This can only endin a culture of art that is repetitive, unoriginal, and worst of all, cliché.

It is this superficial contact that I am attemptingto make a plea against—in every area of art, be it literature, painting, film,design, or music. If venues like Spotify or Rdio are used in the right way—asmodern conduits to connect us to the art we listen to, to contemplate, toinvestigate, to discuss—then they are certainly a positive. This screed maycome across as the ranting of an old-timer, claiming that things were better“back then”. To be clear, I am no luddite; I am an avid user of Twitter, Tumblr,Blogger, etc. But I fear that for those listeners who are at the outset oftheir formative listening experiences and critical listening development willnot gain the ability to analyze, but rather to only be able to at best connect-the-dots,and at worst—never develop the ability to “listen” at all.

SIDENOTE: I just want to publicly request thatDavid Bowie shake free of his early retirement and get back into the ring thisyear. This is my biggest hope for the new year—Bowie, come back—we need you nowmore than ever.

Top 10 Albums of 2011 – Extended Selections

2011-12-17T23:54:00.000-05:00

So every year I make additional selections by offering several awards outside of the "official" ballot. Here they are, my extended selections.

SONG OF THE YEAR

Holocene– Bon Iver

Listened to this song sitting in the windowoverlooking Old Town Saginaw when I got back from the hospital the morning mybrother died. Seared into my soul forever.

SINGLE OF THE YEAR

Walk – Foo Fighters

Runners Up: ShakeIt Off – Florence + The Machine, Midnight City – M83, Discoverer – REM, Lonely Boy – The Black Keys, The Death of You & Me – Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds, The World Is Yours – Glasvegas

SONGS OF THE YEAR (30 great songs, in no particular order)

We Are Augustines – Headlong Into The Abyss

Chelsea Wolfe – Tracks (Tall Bodies)

Papercuts – Charades

Glasvegas – WhateverHurts You Through The Night

The Horrible Crowes – Sugar

M83 – Steve McQueen

Zola Jesus – Collapse

The Black Keys – Little Black Submarines

Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds – (Stranded On) The Wrong Beach

Dirty Beaches – Speedway King

The Twilight Singers – The Beginning of the End

Girls – Vomit

M83 – Wait

Foo Fighters – I Should Have Known

Florence + The Machine – Only For Tonight

Chelsea Wolfe – Movie Screen

The Horrors – ChangingRain

Wild Flag – Romance

Glasvegas – TheWorld Is Yours

I Break Horses – Hearts

We Are Augustines – Chapel Song

The Horrible Crowes – Behold The Hurricane

Wolf Gang – LionsIn Cages

M83 – Reunion

Zola Jesus – Lick The Palm Of The Burning Hand

The Horrors – OceansBurning

PJ Harvey – TheLast Living Rose

Arctic Monkeys – She’s Thunderstorms

REM – Discoverer

Florence + The Machine – No Light, No Light

ALBUM COVER OF THE YEAR

Badlands, Dirty Beaches

Redundant to bring this up again, but it really is fantastic. Check it out.

VIDEO OF THE YEAR

Lonely Boy, The Black Keys

In a weak year for the dying artistic genre known as the music video, this one was perfect.

DISAPPOINTMENT OF THE YEAR

Beady Eye—DifferentGear, Still Speeding.

Nobody, and I mean nobody, is a bigger LiamGallagher fan on this planet than I am. And that’s not to say that that thisalbum is bad—it’s just sort of…meh. I really like Beatles & Stones and TheMorning Son but otherwise it’s kind of forgettable.

RUNNER UP: Glasvegas, ///Euphoria Heartbreak\\\ Repeat all of the above commentary forBeady Eye but insert the word Glasvegas.

BUMMER OF THE YEAR

The breakup of REM, obviously.

ROCK DOC OF THE YEAR

Back & Forth: Foo Fighters

This Foo Fighters/Dave Grohl/Nirvana doc doeseverything a great rock film should do—

RUNNER UP: From The Sky Down: The Making ofAchtung Baby is also pretty great, but I wanted more.

SIDE NOTE: I also really liked Stones In Exileabout the making of Exile On Mainstreet and Lemmy, concerning the handsome and debonair LemmyKilmister of Motorhead.

The Top 10 Albums of 2011

2011-12-17T22:45:00.000-05:00

MADISONINSTITUTE of MUSICOLOGISTS (MIM) 2011 OFFICIAL BALLOT – TIM SPEAKER

Ok, so it's really fifteen. But it was a really strong year so I went with more than ten.

15.Wild Flag—Wild Flag

Thesound is the blood between me and you

Rock and roll is alive and well and living in thehearts of these four women. Killer top to bottom.

14.The Black Keys – El Camino

Buteverybody knows / That a broken heart is blind

Loving it, but since it just came out I haven’tbeen able to spend the kind of time with it that I need to.

13.The Twilight Singers—Dynamite Steps

Allcome alive in the present tense

The disappointment was in the buildup; thepromise of Dynamite Steps was toogreat, as word of a new Twilight Singers album, following one of the bestalbums of the past decade—Powder Burns—wouldalso feature Gutter Twin Mark Lanegan as well as erstwhile genius (and personalguitar-god) Nick McCabe of the Verve? The lure proved too much. Instead of anepoch-defining work, Greg Dulli and Co. return with another excellent album ofnoir rock.

It’s tough to call this a disappointment, as it truly does have itsmoments (like the Song of the Year contender The Beginning of the End), but considering the buildup, it was hardnot to feel a bit letdown. Again, that isn’t to say I don’t love this album,because I certainly do.

12.We Are Augustines—Rise Ye Sunken Ships

Wellcall the police, go ahead call your shrink / Call whoever you want but I won'tstop the car

I love albums that have a good story behind them,and this one is a doozy. From Paste Magazine’s review:

Jim,the brother of lead singer and songwriter Billy McCarthy, had a very troubledpast. Since high school, he lived in homeless shelters and on the streets ofCalifornia after succumbing to excessive substance abuse. He was also committedto psychiatric hospitals on multiple occasions.

Jimeventually used a knife to attack a worker in a shelter where he was living. Hethen found himself in prison and diagnosed as a schizophrenic, unfit to standtrial and too dangerous to stay with the general public…For four years, Jimremained in solitary confinement, his only escapes being small stints at morepsychiatric hospitals…While staying at one, he overheard he’d again berelegated to solitary confinement…He panicked…Then hanged himself.

Theirmother, also a schizophrenic and addict, came to a similar demise. Lying on acot in a homeless shelter, she overdosed on sleeping pills and cocaine…Next to herbed, she had scribbled two things on the back of a business card from a localmortuary: her children’s names…Billy, Jim and their sister never knew theirfather.

The funny thing about this album, one sprung fromso much darkness, is that is sounds mostly triumphant. Though it does trailoff a bit, a more honest group of songs you will not find this year.

11.Dirty Beaches—Badlands

Speedway/ It's taking over me

Badlandssounds like it was unearthed from beneath the garbage barrels behind CBGB’s,the mutant offspring of a late night jam session between Suicide, The Cramps,and Elvis singing lyrics written by Charles Starkweather in an alley somewherein my dreams. Very, very hard to leave this out of my top ten.

SIDE NOTE: This is the best album cover of theyear, by far. To fully experience the album as it was intended, pick it up onvinyl like I did. Pressed on white wax, the grime sounds like a dementedsymphony, and the noir-ish photography provides ample evidence for the need tocontinue producing tangible packaging.

10.Bon Iver—Bon Iver

…andat once I knew I was not magnificent

Another tenderly brilliant album from JustinVernon, Wisconsin’s most famous cabin dweller. The blatant Peter Gabriel-ism isa bit concerning to most, but since I actually like Peter Gabriel (and am notafraid to admit it) I am OK with it.

Of anyone on this list, I think his nextalbum will have the highest stakes (so to speak) of his career.

09.The Horrors—Skying

Themoment that you want is coming / If you give it time

Another set of gorgeous, post-punk warbles. Thelaw of diminishing returns does govern this follow-up to my 2009 Album of theYear, Primary Colours, but it isstill a strong batch of high quality, billowy, psych.

08.Chelsea Wolfe—Apokalypsis

Wecould be two straight lines in a crooked world…

Chelsea Wolfe snuck onto the musical landscape byreleasing her debut album The Grime andThe Glow in the final week of 2010. I discovered that album in late spring,and spent a considerable portion of the summer of 2011 playing Halfsleeper on repeat late into thenight. Her follow up—Apokalypsis—wasreleased in September and is an absolutely white-nuckle, horror movie scarycollection of feral doomfolk. In a good way.

This album has an atmosphere that is totally exclusive to anything else put on wax this year. Listening, you can almost smell the smoky haze of incense burning at some ancient, biblical rite taking place, being presided over by a feral priestess that may or may not be PJ Harvey. It kind of reminds me of the atmosphere created on the title track to the first Black Sabbath album, if that helps describe the late night, bizarre environment constructed here.

I found myself in the month ofDecember basically playing Tracks (TallBodies) on repeat, hypnotized by it's repetitive spell.

SIDE NOTE: Try as I might, I could not find thison CD or (extremely) limited LP, as it was mostly a digital only release. Asign of the times I guess.

07.Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds – Self-Titled

Builda little fire where it’s cold…

This is the best album of the year while you are listening to it. Nothingmakes you feel this good—so good that it feels like a collection of Be Here Now B-sides, which is theultimate compliment I can give it. I ask you to listen to this record, and takea moment to appreciate the level of traditional English-with-a-capital-Esongwriting here, as nobody else does this anymore.

A dying art to be sure.

06.Foo Fighters—Wasting Light

Inever wanna die / I never wanna die / I'm on my knees / I never wanna die…

Are Foo Fighters the last straight-up rock and roll bandin the mainstream left in America? I must admit that the placement of thisalbum was significantly influenced by repeated viewings of the extraordinarydocumentary Back & Forth. The album, like the documentary that chronicled its creation, is a look back in order to forge a new path forward. Many of the best songs here—Dear Rosemary, I Should Have Known, Bridge Burning, Miss The Misery, Arlandria, and the spectacular Walk—all deal with the subject of reflecting on past losses, past mistakes, past failures as a way to appreciate what you have now, today, in the present. A song like I Should Have Known is given incredible gravity not only by the subject matter—not being able to stop someone you care for from self-destruction, one of which is explicitly Kurt Cobain—but through the inclusion of Krist Novoselic (performing for the first time with Grohl post-Nirvana) and Pat Smear (now back in the fold as a full time member) a resonance that supersedes the Foo Fighters as a musical entity.

Fewalbums are as life-affirming as this set from Grohl’s Army, and that alone set Wasting Light apart from most of thepack this year.

05.Florence + The Machine—Ceremonials

Andwould you leave me / If I told you what I've become?

Blown away by the power of her talent. Lyrically,musically, and vocally this album is phenomenal – I was totally caught offguard by Ceremonials. Superb inevery category. Calling her a force of nature is not mere hyperbole, she seems to exert powerful sway over the elements.

04.M83—Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming

Iwoke up stronger than ever…

Epic in the best sense of the world, thissprawling shoegaze/technopop extravaganza should come with a map. Huge in soundand scope, this album steps forward from 2009’s John Hughes inspiredmasterpiece Saturdays=Youth. ShouldM83 mainman Anthony Gonzalez have decided to prune this back to a single disc,it certainly would have fought for Album of the Year. But forget about allthat, just take it as it is – a bittersweet mix of upbeat heartfelt symphoniesdedicated to the loss of innocence and youth.

Beautifully confidant.

SIDENOTE: If HurryUp, We're Dreaming was released when I was 22, it would have been thesoundtrack to my life. Every song sounds like a movie. Also, I highly recommendseeing them live. They are absolutely massive live.

03.The Horrible Crowes—Elsie

Ifyou should go there before I do / God's gonna trouble the water

This side-project from Brian Fallon (who may bemy favorite young songwriter in America) reaches into areas of lyricismundiscovered in his day job as Gaslight Anthem’s director and guiding force. Elsie seemed to get better and betterwith each and every listen I gave it. An album about loss, in it's many forms.

SIDE NOTE: You know when you lose yourobjectivity about quality because you feel so close to a work? This album hasserved as my companion through the long hours of grief in the wake of mybrother’s death last August. I spent every available minute driving thebackstreets of South Carolina in September and October listening to this album andI will always have a hard time listening to it.

02.Zola Jesus—Conatus

Causeit hurts, yes it hurts to let you in…

An operatic goth/synth/dance/dreampop tour deforce. The Goth Queen of Madison, WI takes on a broad range of subjects andmoods here; fitting for an album whose title—Conatus—is latin for moving forward. Conatus is a major leap ahead in terms of songwriting, production,and instrumentalism from her brilliant twin 2010 EP’s Stridullum and Valusia.The best compliment that I can give this is to say that it is a complete work,a true album in the sense that each song is sequenced with precision, and workas links to a whole.

Heroic, picturesque, heart-wrenching, strong.

01.PJ Harvey—Let England Shake

GoddamnEuropeans! / Take me back to beautiful England…

Not her first reinvention (my favorite would be the now over 10 years old, still phenomenal Stories From The City,Stories From The Sea) but certainly the most convincing and total, Let England Shake is a brillianttreatise on post-WWI Britain. It is of the utmost importance that artistscontinue to challenge their audience with complex, confrontational, oruncomfortable material and Harvey has found inventive and distinctive ways todo this since the early 90’s. Even in a very, very strong year for femaleartists, Harvey continues to be in a class unto herself.

SIDE NOTE: I find the current pre-eminence of PJHarvey as an influence on contemporary, female based "rock" to be trulyfascinating, as it is difficult—nearly impossible—to imagine much of thesignificant female work at present without her influence. A brief look at myTop Ten Albums of 2011 exemplifies this – Chelsea Wolfe, Florence + TheMachine, Zola Jesus, and countless others bear her distinctive mark. It’s as ifher particular brand of intelligent, literary, visceral rock and roll has agedwith such formidable significance and dignity that what was once periphery hasnow become central to the post millennial, post collapse-of-the-music-industry,post rock-as-cultural-force, post rock-is-dead musical landscape (this sameobservation may also be applied to the work of Nick Cave). I am not certain whythis is, but I think it is a worthwhile discussion to cultivate.

Top Albums of 2011 – 25 To 15

2011-12-17T20:40:00.001-05:00

OK folks, it's that time again. Time for the Madison Institute of Musicologists to convene, place their ballots, and select their Top Ten Albums of 2011. As usual, I will be offering an extended version of the ballot. As this was an especially strong and competitive year, I have decided to include a full list of the Top Twenty-Five Albums of 2011.

More to come. So without further ado, here we go:

25. Diego Garcia—Laura

24. The War On Drugs—Slave Ambient

23. Papercuts—Fading Parade

22. The Kills—Blood Pressures

21. The Raveonettes—Raven In The Grave

20. Radiohead—King of Limbs

19. The Pains of Being Pure At Heart—Belong

18. Chapel Club—Palace

17. Girls—Father, Son, Holy Ghost

16. Glasvegas—///Euphoria Heartbreak\\\

Top 20 Stone Roses Songs

2011-10-30T23:21:00.003-04:00

The Stone Roses are one of the greatest bands of all time — this is fairly indisputable. Their recent resurrection is as improbable as it was amazing. More on this at another time.

For now, here is my Top 20 Stone Roses Songs of All Time, in honor of their return.

20. What The World Is Waiting For

19. Here It Comes

18. Standing Here

17. Fool’s Gold

16. How Do You Sleep?

15. Sugar Spun Sister

14. Standing Here

13. The Hardest Thing In The World

12. Mersey Paradise

11. Waterfall

10. She Bangs The Drums

09. Going Down

08. All Across The Sands

07. Made of Stone

06. Sally Cinnamon

05. Ten Storey Love Song

04. I Wanna Be Adored

03. Love Spreads

02. This Is The One

01. I Am The Resurrection

Top 25 Characters On The Wire

2011-10-19T08:52:00.004-04:00

There are two types of people—those who have seen The Wire and know it's the best show of all-time, and those you haven't seen it yet.

—Tim Speaker

One of the many reasons why my favorite (and best) show of all time is The Wire are the characters. Fully three-dimensional, real characters either based on factual individuals, often played by non-actors, or amalgamations of real-life people, the characters on The Wire move far beyond any film or television series in terms of truth.

Most shows have a character, or a few characters, that keep you coming back. Yet when I thought to put this list together, I immediately thought of over 30 characters that I loved off the top of my head. I cannot imagine being able to do this with any other show. And that alone says alot for the quality of the acting on The Wire. Also, I had to leave out characters that I loved or felt were brilliant, in order to limit the list to 25 (sorry Herc, Prezbo, Clay Davis). This is astounding for a television show.

Here it is, my Top 25 Favorite Characters On The Wire:

25. Slim Charles

24. Carver

23. Chris Partlo

22. Snoop

21. Poot

20. Cutty

19. Bunny Colvin

18. Randy

17. Marlo Stanfield

16. Brother Mouzone

15. Dukie

14. Michael

13. Kima Greggs

12. Bodie Broadus

11. Wee Bey

10. Wallace

09. Proposition Joe

08. Lester Freamon

07. D’Angelo Barksdale

06. Bubbles

05. Avon Barksdale

04. Bunk Moreland

03. Jimmy McNulty

02. Stringer Bell

01. Omar Little

I know it's cliche to like Omar the best, but the brilliant Michael K. Williams portrayal of him is simply electric. He owns the screen every second he is on it, regardless of who he is sharing it with.

And fans can find a great home here, at WireFans.com.

Deus Ex Machina Releases First Book, Typically Brilliant

2011-10-11T09:54:00.004-04:00

The Temple of Enthusiasm by Carby Tuckwell | Make Your Own Book

I love Deus Ex Machina. I love their bikes. I love their bicycles. I love their posters. I love their gear. I love their website. I love their branding. I love their spirit. I love their photography.

I do not love their prices, but that is more a personal problem (I'm broke as a joke) than anything they are doing per se.

And now? They release a new book via Blurb called The Temple of Enthusiasm and it's what you would expect - brilliance dripping from every page, and a drool-festival for a cover. Amazing. The problem? It's $146 dollars!

Oh well. I can dream right?

Buy one here. Check out Deus Ex Machina here.

Lines & Lives Of The Face Opens In Tryon

2011-10-11T09:42:00.002-04:00

Last saturday I had the good fortune of being included in a brilliant show of portraiture at the Upstairs Gallery in Tryon, NC. What an amazing space! I was blown away by the great work by the artists involved, and the subtle curation by Nancy and Margaret. Truly a superb space operated by wonderful people. Tryon is this cool little mountain town (which there are tons of great ones in NC) where Nina Simone was born, and her monument park is directly across the street from the gallery - so cool.

David Slone - a fellow Art Bomber - was also included in the show, and created the above video to capture a glimpse of the show.

Check it out. The show runs through November 19th. More information at the Upstairs Gallery.

Postmodernism Film Is Clarifying

2011-10-06T10:31:00.005-04:00

Postmodernism is one of those slippery terms to define. Want some clarification? Check this film out to coincide with the exhibition. Superb.

More information here.

What The Breakup Of REM Means, Part 4

2011-10-06T10:12:00.005-04:00

For What The Breakup of REM Means, Part 4 we turn to guest blogger Pete Fahndrich. World traveller, shepherd of lost bands/albums/artists, President and Founder of the Madison Institute of Musicologists, and one of the best people you could ever have the good fortune to know, Pete "gets it" and is the only person I know who is as hungry for music as I am, and is willing to talk about it endlessly.

We are Soul Brothers of Musicology, so it is with great pleasure that I bring you his 31 Years, 31 Songs for our old friends REM. I cannot think of a more fitting way to close this series of REM posts than with the selections and memories of someone so specially tuned to REM's greatness. So enjoy...

31 YEARS, 31 SONGS by PETE FAHNDRICH of the SAGINAW FAHNDRICH CLAN

31. How The West Was Won and Where It Got Us - New Adventures in Hi-Fi

30. Green Grow The Rushes - Fables of the Reconstruction

29. The Sidewinder Sleeps Tonite - Automatic For The People

28. I Believe - Life’s Rich Pageant

27. Radio Free Europe - Murmur

26. Electrolite - New Adventures In Hi-Fi

25. Bittersweet Me - New Adventues In Hi-FI

24. Finest Worksong - Document

23. Feeling Gravity’s Pull - Fables Of The Reconstruction

22. Sweetness Follows - Automatic For The People

21. Imitation Of Life - Reveal

20. Pretty Persuasion - Reckoning

19. What’s The Frequency Kenneth? - Monster

18. Perfect Circle - Murmur

17. At My Most Beautiful - Up

16. Half A World Away - Out of Time

15. Try Not To Breathe - Automatic For The People

14. Don’t Go Back To Rockville - Reckoning

13. Daysleeper - Up

12. The Great Beyond - Single

11. Begin The Begin - Life’s Rich Pageant

10. Driver 8 - Fables Of The Reconstruction

09. Talk About The Passion - Murmur

08. Leaving New York - Around The Sun

07. Fall On Me - Life’s Rich Pageant

06. Man On the Moon - Automatic For The People

05. Country Feedback - Out Of Time

04. So. Central Rain - Reckoning

03. Nightswimming - Automatic For The People

02. Cuyahoga - Life’s Rich Pageant

01. E-Bow The Letter - New Adventures In Hi-Fi

SIDE NOTES

28. Is because of Mary

27. Is for dropping the needle on the first REM album and hearing this come out

22. Is for my cousin Peter Thomas and driving on Lake Shore Drive in Chicago

19. Is for the big deal Monster was when it came out my first summer in Madison

17. Is because Mike Mills convinced Michael stipe the Beach Boys were worth checking out

08. Is because I wish I didn’t have to

03. Is for the college nights in Madison when we did and for Jereme

01. Is because I could never get past this song

What The Breakup Of REM Means, Part 3

2011-09-29T22:13:00.005-04:00

OK, as promised, for my continuing series What The Breakup of REM Means, Part 3, I present my list of 31 Songs For 31 Years. My 31 favorite REM songs, in honor of their 31 years together.

Enjoy. Oh, and hey, what are some of yours?

31 YEARS, 31 SONGS

31. Find The River – Automatic For The People

30. Belong – Out Of Time

29. Daysleeper – Up

28. Try Not To Breathe – Automatic For The People

27. Orange Crush – Green

26. Electrolite - New Adventures In Hi-Fi

25. Talk About The Passion - Murmur

24. Don’t Go Back To Rockville - Reckoning

23. Harborcoat - Reckoning

22. The One I Love – Document

21. Catapult – Murmur

20. Superman - Life’s Rich Pageant

19. So. Central Rain – Reckoning

18. At My Most Beautiful – Up

17. Feeling Gravity’s Pull – Fables of the Reconstruction

16. Driver 8 - Fables of the Reconstruction

15. Leaving New York – Around the Sun

14. Let Me In - Monster

13. I Believe – Life’s Rich Pageant

12. Bittersweet Me - New Adventures In Hi-Fi

11. What’s The Frequency Kenneth? – Monster

10. Fall On Me – Life’s Rich Pageant

09. Radio Free Europe – Murmur

08. Sweetness Follows – Automatic For The People

07. Begin The Begin - Life’s Rich Pageant

06. E Bow The Letter – New Adventures In Hi-Fi

05. Drive – Automatic For The People

04. Leave - New Adventures In Hi-Fi

03. Finest Worksong – Document

02. Country Feedback – Out Of Time

01. Nightswimming – Automatic For The People

What The Breakup Of REM Means, Part 2

2011-09-28T21:32:00.027-04:00

This is Part 2 of my series, What The Breakup of REM Means.

These are a collection of random thoughts, memories, and observances about REM.

The first CD I ever purchased was Out Of Time and Sam Cooke’s Greatest Hits from Meijers on Gratiot in Saginaw MI with money from mowing lawns. Thusly, Radio Song was the first song ever played on CD on my stereo. This is significant...to me.

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Country Feedback is the exact same song musically as Revival by Soulsavers. Both of these songs are incredible. Don’t die without having played them both on repeat.

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Nightswimming still has the unique power to make me cry - sometimes. Nightswimming can make me happier than any song ever - sometimes. Nightswimming always makes me swoon with nostalgia, even the first time I ever heard it. Nightswimming is a different song every time that I hear it, and touches places inside me that nothing else does.

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I always loved REM, but when I saw Tour Film on VHS at my friend Chris Gober’s house – he projected it on his living room wall and hooked up speakers to the TV, cranked them up to 10 and let it rip - it blew me away. Many of these songs immediately became my favorites due to the film. If you haven’t seen it, do. It’s as good a concert film as has been produced. And the black and white cinematography is simply stunning.

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REM were the closest thing Americans ever had to The Smiths. We are not likely to hear their kind again. This is a BIG statement, but think about it – if REM had split in 1997 this statement would be much easier to agree with.

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John Paul Jones wrote and conducted the symphony on Automatic For The People. This unlikely collaboration created some of the most heart-wrenching music ever recorded.

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For a long time in the late 80’s and early 90’s I thought Michael Stipe and Natalie Merchant were a couple. This was not an uncommon belief amongst my friends and I. Oh, how naive we were back then.

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I always loved how they put “Berry/Buck/Mills/Stipe” in the credits to their music. It seemed like such a unified group, a four-legged table like U2 or The Smiths or The Stone Roses. This was proven astoundingly accurate during the last 14 years of their career.

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It was the first warm day of spring of my Sophomore year. That first day of sun is like heaven after long cold winters in Michigan, when everything suddenly comes back to life. I was at my friend Rod Huyett’s house in Mt. Pleasant, MI. We set up two amps outside, plugged in a Rickenbacker for him and a Les Paul Special for me, and I learned my first ever chords to What’s The Frequency Kenneth? To this day that widescreen, fuzzy, skuzzy opening riff always makes me feel warmth and rejuvenation and optimism and absolute like the first day of spring.

SIDE NOTE: Those chords were too tricky for my unlearned hands, so we played Down By The River by Neil Young for about 8 hours straight instead. Truth.

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When Stipe’s voice jumps an octave for the line “leave it, to leave it all behind” in the song Leave, I can physically feel my chest tighten like when you slam on the brakes and the seatbelt seizes your chest, and my entire body shudders.

This is a power found only in music.

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One of my best friends – Jo Carol Mitchell-Rogers – went to the University of Georgia in the few years before Murmur, and saw REM play at campus bars and parties countless times. Michael Stipe’s sister was in one of her drawing classes, and Jo Carol drew Michael’s portrait when he would model for her.

SIDE NOTE: Her roommate dated Herschel Walker during his Heisman campaign and she was a student during their National Championship season – which pretty much means she was at UG for all the best things that have ever happened there, in the entire history of the university.)

____________________________________________________________________

Many of the best REM songs are truly cinematic, widescreen affairs (Leave, Bittersweet Me, Leaving New York, all of Automatic For The People) while simultaneously feeling confessional and near. This is something only the truly great bands achieve.

____________________________________________________________________

The recent 20^th Anniversary of Nirvana’s Nevermind reminded me of how important REM were at that time. From late 1991, through to Kurt Cobain’s suicide in the spring of 1994 was an incredibly exciting and confusing time*, and Kurt and Eddie Vedder both sought advice and support from whom they considered to be their heroes, and Michael Stipe was very publicly involved in assisting Kurt after his heroin overdose in Rome. This memory brought up a couple of interesting points, that:

1. There was a vital, significant correlation between the mainstream explosion of “alternative” music of 1991 and the trails blazed to that mainstream led by bands like REM and U2, who were still considered “alternative” at the time. I highly doubt that America could have been able to accept the bands of this movement without the groundwork laid by their 80’s precursors.

2. The relationship between REM and (someone like) Nirvana is most likely imperceptible to someone who is 20 years old (or an adolescent listener, or even a contemporary audience) because to their ears, REM is either sunshiny pop (Shiny Happy People, What’s The Frequency Kenneth?) or kind of sappy and overblown (Everybody Hurts), or vague moral and religious dilemmas that they don't seem to understand (Losing My Religion). Either way this connection is completely lost to them, and maybe for all time.

SIDE NOTE: This perception was fostered during REM’s lost years, the final 14 of their career, when their intent and message no longer received a mass audience, especially with listeners under the age of 30.

*From late 1991 through 1994 was the a thrilling time to be coming of age, as it felt like my generation took over and overthrew all that came before. It is often said that the 60’s was really only a few years, from 1966 (Revolver, Dylan goes electic) to1969 (Altamont) and the same can be said for the 90’s – the 90’s were only from 91-94 (the release of Nevermind to Cobain's suicide). Just as the "60's" were not Connie Francis and Pat Boone (though they sold heavily too), the 90's were not Limp Bizkit and Backstreet Boys and all the other garbage that filled the rock n roll vacuum post 1994.

SECOND SIDE NOTE: Yes, I realize I’m beginning to sound like an old Vietnam Vet – “you weren’t there maaaan…”.

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REM’s last American Top 40 singles were What’s The Frequency Kenneth? And Bang And Blame from Monster in 1994 and 1995. It makes sense, but I did not realize this until now.

____________________________________________________________________

Perhaps the closest thing we have to REM in today’s musical landscape is The National. I would like to publicly challenge them to take the next step and formally pick up the flag flown by REM.

Matt Berninger I’m calling you out.

____________________________________________________________________

In 2009 I selected Automatic For The People as the #10 Album That Defined My High School Experience. Here is what I said at the time: "When I first heard Nightswimming, I knew there was a world somewhere so different, that would suit me if I could only get there. I wanted (want) to live inside that song".

http://speakartanddesign.blogspot.com/2010/03/top-fifteen-albums-that-defined-my-high.html

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Yes, REM should have broken up in 1997. But that doesn’t make their passing any easier now. In fact, it makes it possibly more difficult. Because now they are gone, we can love them again, miss them, appreciate them for all that they meant to us and will always mean to us, and recognize how they changed American culture in a real way in the 1980’s and 1990’s. This recognition was exceedingly difficult to maintain as they released a string of mediocre albums (yet with killer lead singles – Leaving New York, Living Well’s The Best Revenge, Discoverer – due must be given to these, because those are great singles) as persistent reminders of how “lost” they were following Bill Berry’s departure in 1997. With each release I fell into a familiar cycle – hope that they would make that one true, last brilliant album based on said killer single, then utter disappointment upon the release.

But now we can love them again for all they are and were, because that is what endings do.

SIDE NOTE: This is much the same occurrence I observed when Michael Jackson died – all of a sudden there was this crazy outpouring of love for a man that was nothing short of monstrous, a likely pedophile who had disconnected from his public long before. Upon his death it seemed that he could be loved again, not for what he was when he died, but for who he had been, the Michael Jackson of his audience's youth, rather than the fiend he had become. It should be noted for clarity however, that REM did not become an awful thing as Jackson had, but merely a mediocre, rudderless ship, and for a band that had so often charted territories of Greatness, this would not do. However, both REM and Michael Jackson were instantly beloved in death.

____________________________________________________________________

And Finally...REM are gone, but their legacy lives on in a million ways, from the current Indie scene to the 80's underground, to the 90's era of grunge. They live on in their fans, in the ways they influenced their ethics and general understanding of the world.

Thank you REM, for all you have meant to me, my youth, my young adulthood, and today.

Wood Type Revival Is A Worthy, Beautiful Place

2011-09-25T13:53:00.003-04:00

You know all those beautiful old wood types that don't exist in any digital format that you seen in old specimen books? What if you could have some of them, digitized and ready to use in your contemporary Adobe environments? What if?

That was the question that several brilliant graphic designers asked when they started a Kickstarter campaign last year to create the Wood Type Revival. Now that the generous support of backers from Kickstarter have made this idea a reality, you can visit the site to download formerly unavailable antique faces, in digital form.

From Wood Type Revival:

Born out of Kickstarter: Wood Type Revival is printing rare historic wood type, and turning it into digital fonts for modern designers.

Go there now - support this beautiful idea made real.

What The Breakup Of REM Means, Part 1

2011-09-25T13:16:00.002-04:00

By now you have heard I'm sure about the breakup of REM. For me I have had differing emotions about this everyday since. Sometimes these moments are totally opposite one another.

Over at the brilliant and essential The Ever Circling Skeleton Family, some of those tangled emotions have been distilled in a superb post discussing the staggering song Country Feedback:

I think it’s a song like this, like “Country Feedback,” that highlights a part of R.E.M.’s contribution to music, life, everything. I think I’ve said it before even on this page. But there that song is, mammoth, untouchable. Completely inscrutable, but also the most welcoming and understandable set of emotions put to words. Resignation, weariness in a set of words, in every note, every repetition of that chord sequence. But then that resignation and weariness is informed by what could only be love. And that’s all from a line like “you come to me with a bone in your hand.”
Michael Stipe heard characters in his band’s songs, found those characters, became them. For three minutes at a time, he was someone else, and when we listened, we knew those characters like old friends.
The way this band worked together to allow that kind of, I don’t know, magic was amazing. I’m excited, in a way, for the rest of the week, because I’ve already read some great pieces about the band, and I’m sure there’ll be a few more. I’m going to be thinking about it, certainly.
But “Country Feedback.” Just watch that video, and you’ll be devastated by it. The moment for me, in that particular version (from the “Road Movie” tour film), comes around 4:48, when Michael Stipe just sits down on the stage, letting the song flow around him. He’s done his part in that story. The shot of his profile with the projected house in the background is perfect and beautiful.
And now I’m sitting here thinking of a friend who just died, prematurely and tragically, and remembering that this song hinges on the line “it’s crazy what you could have had.” It’s a sad case of “song meaning something different to you” as there ever could be, I guess.
Well, I need this.
I need this.

This, is extremely accurate. Look for What The Breakup of REM Means, Part 2 in the next few days, and a Part 3 featuring my Top 25 REM Songs Of All Time. In the meantime, enjoy listening to their old albums. I am.

OFFBOOK For PBS Focus On Type Is Brief But Fun

2011-09-24T19:25:00.003-04:00

Watch the full episode. See more Off Book.

OFFBOOK is a series on PBS. Recently they featured Typography as their subject of the episode, and grab brief but interesting interviews with Tobias Frere-Jones, Jonathan Hoefler, and Paula Scheer.

Check it out above - it's worth the few minutes.

Ralph Fiennes Coriolanus Looks Gargantuan

2011-09-12T20:09:00.002-04:00

Ralph Fiennes directorial debut - Coriolanus - looks truly epic. A modern retelling of the Shakespearean work, Fiennes stars and leads a strong UK cast.

Comes out Christmas day. Looks incredible.

Learn To Make Coffee At Intelligentsia

2011-09-11T15:47:00.005-04:00

Espresso, Intelligentsia from The D4D on Vimeo.

As you may or may not know, I am a licensed barista. That's right, I can make coffee anywhere in the world. Not just filters, but full on espresso (notice there is no X in the word espresso), cappuccino, and the best froth you can get. I don't like to brag, but I'll brag on my froth.

Anyway, the superb Department of the 4th Dimension - the premier short makers - has created a stunning set of shorts for exemplary coffeehouse Intelligentsia. And they are fantastic.

Check out the whole series here.

Gorgeous.

RRL By Ralph Lauren Is Nothing But Spectacular

2011-09-11T15:01:00.003-04:00

I've long be a fan of turn of the century mugshots and stereoscopic photographs. Their atmosphere was deliberately evoked in my XTRMNTR series a couple years ago.

Ralph Lauren has released a lookbook for their RRL line, and the photographs are spectacular. Directly referencing to the work of early documentarian photographers, Lauren has created a legitimate collection of images, as stirring as any produced recently.

Additionally the site that supports the line is also a must see. Find the entire series RRL here. Find my XTRMNTR series here.

Simply brilliant.

MVOTW: "Lions In Cages" by Wolf Gang

2011-09-08T10:12:00.004-04:00

As I've discussed many times, I have a deep love of music videos. I believe that they are an art form unto themselves, though unappreciated and now without their former cultural impact. In their first 20 years (1982-2002) they were a dramatic influence on our culture, and their release dates were true events, as large as single releases or album debuts. You would stay up until the late hours to watch a new video (and if it was significant enough it would be played every hour on the hour - like every Guns N Roses video released from the now 20 year old Use Your Illusion albums), you might even stay home from school to be there for this event.

Now of course music videos are kind of a novelty, a mostly non-essential entity shot to specifically appease interested band members, with the decidedly disposable outlet of YouTube or Vimeo. And with the proliferation of inexpensive video equipment and editing software, virtually anyone can make a music video at any time.

That being said, I still love them. To me they hold a power unlike any other art form. As I've discussed previously, they hit me at a very young age and their magic continues to inspire me. And the odd thing is that while the "golden age" of the music video has cleared passed, some interesting and strong work has continued to be produced.

With that in mind, I bring you the Music Video of the Week: Lions In Cages by Wolf Gang. This video is a classic example of taking a song that is solid/good, and elevating it through the unique power of the visual. And it's brilliant, and beautiful, and hits you in the chest, and you don't even really know why. And that is why the music video is an art form, one that will continue to resonate.

Enjoy.

Adobe's Muse Is A Design Industry Game Changer

2011-09-01T10:36:00.003-04:00

Coming from a print background, I have eternally fought between my print mindset and the limitations of my coding abilities (or lack thereof). For years I have wondered: why does it have to be this hard? Why can't there be an InDesign for web?

Apparently Adobe listened to me (and others like me) as the creation of Adobe Muse is about to prove. Even if it can do half of what they claim, it will be a design industry game changer.

Watch the film. Dream no more.

Sadly Epic Space Oddity Becomes Beautiful Kid's Book

2011-08-31T17:52:00.007-04:00

Illustrator Andrew Kolb decided to create a children's book for David Bowie's immortal song Space Oddity. Rendered in the style of a classic Golden Book, the lovingly crafted images tell the story of lost astronaut Major Tom. And it's brilliant.

Take a look at the book and Andrew Kolb's other amazing work here.

The Onion Takes Down Long Reviled Comic Sans

2011-08-25T09:00:00.004-04:00

New Study Explains Why Comic Sans Font So Hilarious (Season 1: Ep 8 on IFC)

Comic Sans, one of the most vomitous, disgusting typefaces ever foisted upon humanity, gets a tongue-in-cheek comeuppance by "America's Most Trusted News Source" - The Onion.

While this is really humorous, what is significant about the clip is that it exemplifies the raised consciousness the average person now has about typefaces. And that alone is noteworthy.

Brilliant.

Dark Side Of The Lens Is Monumental

2011-08-22T22:46:00.001-04:00

Mickey Smith is an incredibly talented filmmaker. This brief film feels like an epic journey, all in 6 minutes. I don't want to tell you much - just watch it. It will be the most beautiful 6 minutes you will spend all day.

Genetic Portraits Are Unsettling, Beautiful

2011-08-20T15:16:00.003-04:00

The work of artist Ulric Collette seeks to examine the connections between family members in a unique, and sometimes unsettling way.

From My Modern Met:

Quebec, Canada-based graphic designer and photographer Ulric Collette has created a shockingly cool project where he's exploring the genetic similarities between different members of the same family. By splitting their faces in half and then melding them together, he creates interesting new people that are sometimes quite normal looking and other times far from it. He calls this series Genetic Portraits.

Check out more of his great work here.

Photoblog Strange Transit Takes Off

2011-08-18T23:26:00.004-04:00

Strange Transit is the name of the new photoblog I have just published to the interwebs. The site consists of photos that I have taken over the past 6 weeks, and will continue to be added to as time goes on.

Head over and please follow me. You can find Strange Transit here.

Jame Victore's Dinner Series Is Incredible

2011-07-28T11:12:00.003-04:00

Do you have an extra $6,000? I don't, but if I did, I know what I would do with it. I would sign up for James Victore's couragefaithandcocktails series. The idea is this: spend 5 days working in the studio with renowned designer James Victore, then have a private dinner created exclusively by a famous chef, and at that dinner, be joined by some of the greatest design thinkers in the world, like Debbie Millman and Hillman Curtis. Sounds too good to be true right?

From Victore:

This is basically the craziest idea I could come up with. My intention with the Dinner Series is to create the most hot-headed, creative atmosphere possible—a party that lasts 5 days—a total immersion in the highest level of inspiration calling on our senses of art, literature, humor, poetry and humanity. It’s a gathering of people, each with a small spark, that when brought together will create a bonfire to be seen miles away. I can’t possibly tell you every detail about what will happen on this sweat and wine-fueled week— this will be the first, who knows what will happen. The party will be made by you—your energy, your experiences and all that you are willing to bring to the table.

It's really happening this October in New York City. A great idea that is actually being put in reality - sounds alot like Victore's work doesn't it?

Register (or at least check it out) here.

Hero Hillman Curtis Brings The Inspiration

2011-07-19T13:53:00.003-04:00

We all seem to find mentors for our creativity at different points in our lives, people that enter at just the right moment and point you in a new direction or give you a boost when you need it. When I was younger and first learning about design, I found Hillman Curtis' book MTIV. This book proved vital to me, emboldening me to feel like I could do this work, this work that seemed so impossible to achieve. It made me believe I could be a part of this great legacy or thought. It was the right influence at just the right time.

Curtis is fearless as a creative. And this spirit has definitely face my own artistic fears through the years. Recently Curtis sat down with the 99% to discuss the need for reinvention in good work. It is great stuff, and will give you a lift.

Read it here. Buy MTIV here. Superb.

Hammarhead Industries' Triumph Film Takes Me Back

2011-07-19T11:42:00.010-04:00

Pier 18 from Hammarhead Industries on Vimeo.

When I was a boy, I had an elderly neighbor lady across the street who I became quite good friends with. Her name was Mrs. Fredericks, and her house was like another world. The rooms were dark and mysterious, filled with old world curiosities like Napoleonic-era antiquities, heavy patterns, and a terrifying/transfixing Medusa painting. The attic and basement were full of old, strange, and wonderful paintings left behind by the previous homeowner, who apparently was an artist and schizophrenic who spent years shut in, painting away. The entire house smelled of unknown, European spices. It was a wonderland for the imagination of an 8 year old boy like me.

Mrs. Fredericks' son John was in his 40's and worked for the US government as a tank factory inspector. He was divorced and didn't have a house anymore, so he would stay with his mother whenever he was in the US, which was maybe twice a year. Being a tank factory inspector is an unspeakably cool job to an 8 year old, and I loved hearing all about the profession. Everytime John would come home he would bring me something that sent my young mind reeling: books about tanks with lots of photos, a t-shirt from the pyramids (which I still wear), or just amazing stories about places I'd never heard of, like Sri Lanka - where he intended to retire. It was a connection to the larger world outside the city, somewhere I began dreaming of.

But the best present he ever gave me was an early edition (1887) of the complete works of Edgar Allen Poe. It was small, had a leather cover, and the pages were wafer thin and gold on the edges. I devoured it whole that summer, the summer I turned 9. I stayed up late every night, enthralled with the Gothic environments and macabre twists. I remember being crazy about a certain story - Buried Alive - that gave me nightmares and fueled a serious phobia to this day. The strange atmosphere I found in Mrs. Fredericks' house seemed to be described perfectly in Poe's gloomy prose. Formative experiences to be sure.

Another major formative gift from John was that in the garage there was a 1972 Triumph motorcycle. I had seen and sat on my Uncle Carl's Honda, but this was different. John would take me through the whole history of British motorcycles, explaining their distinctions and significances from their American and Japanese counterparts. When he wasn't around I would sit on that beautiful piece of steel, imagining that I was barreling down country roads, jumping over hills like the Duke brothers. It set a hook in me very deep for British motorcycles.

Over at Jivan Dave's essential blog, I spotted this gorgeous little video from the awesome Hammarhead Industries that features my all time favorite bike, an old school Triumph. Watching it, I was taken back to those long days in the garage, dreaming. Another great remembrance on a Tuesday morning.

From Hammarhead Industries:

Hammarhead Industries creates motorcycles that are simple yet modern, inspired by the iconic bikes of the 1950s. Each design is executed with an eye towards repurposing, recycling and efficiency.

Check out Hammarhead here. Check out Jivan here. Thanks Jivan for the heads up and flood of memories.

Type Hero Hoefler Interview Is Informative

2011-07-11T12:36:00.003-04:00

Jonathan Hoefler, one of half of dynamic duo Hoefler & Frere-Jones, recently gave an interview with the superb Design Bureau. Hoefler covers several topics, the most exciting of which is what the guys are working on currently.

Do yourself a favor and spend two minutes with this type genius. Find it here.

Speak A&D Goes Twitter

2011-07-10T15:54:00.004-04:00

OK folks, I finally caved and moved into a realm of social media after I dumped MySpace and Facebook accounts back in the mists of time, otherwise known as 2008. I've been enjoying it so far, though I haven't totally figured out how to use it yet. It's good for dropping random thoughts and inspirations, without the full articles of Speak Art & Design. Plus it seems like everyone from The Wire is there, and it has been great to catch up with what they are up to.

Alright, come on over and follow me. You can find me here http://twitter.com/#!/timspeaker

First Modernist Studio In America Is For Sale

2011-07-09T15:41:00.007-04:00

Michigan born architectural genius Ezra Winter built the first modernist home and studio in Connecticut in 1931. Now those landmark buildings are on the market.

From Design Observer:

Born in Michigan in 1886, Ezra Winter studied at the Chicago Institute of Fine Arts, and won the Prix de Rome in 1911. He spent the next few years in residence at the American Academy in Rome, returning to the United States after the First World War. Winter went on to receive a number of prestigious commissions, including the Cunard Building in New York, the North and South Reading Rooms at the Library of Congress, and the monumental stairway mural at Radio City Music Hall. Working with a local builder in the early 1930s, Winter designed a modernist home and studio for himself in rural Connecticut where he lived and worked until his death in 1949. Later, it became the summer studio for the Lathrop sisters — Dorothy, an illustrator, who won the first Caldecott medal in 1938, and Gertrude, a metal sculptor who studied at the New York Art Students League with Gutzon Borglum — the artist perhaps best known for creating the presidents’ heads on Mount Rushmore in South Dakota.

Go here to see alot more beautiful images of the property. Gorgeous.

Hamilton Type Joins Target For Cool Never Fades

2011-07-09T11:36:00.008-04:00

The brilliant, long running woodtype foundry the Hamilton Type Museum has had a busy couple of years. Open since 1880, the museum spent many years floundering, barely keeping the flame going and the doors open, the subject of which became the superb documentary Typeface. Following the release of Typeface, many changes have taken place - first in the form of new ownership and operations from the great Moran brothers, who brought fresh blood and vision to the struggling museum.

It seems that the Moran brothers resurrection is now going at full swing. Hamilton has now partnered with Target to create a clothing line for Fall. It is so cool to see old woodblocks, some over a hundred years old, used for a contemporary fashion line. This is living typography, living history in the true spirit of the museum itself. Awesome.

From Steven Heller:

Target's goal, however, was not to make wood type fashionable—"we just found the fashion within wood type," said Alexin, who asked designers to make hand-pressed prints at the museum, take them home, and then toy with scale, layering, and color, and after injecting wit, create the "eclectic collection of vintage graphic tees, hoodies, and more." Target's fall campaign, based on the conceit that "Cool Never Fades" and what was cool 25 or even 50 years ago will be cool again, builds on the notion that the Hamilton Wood Type and Printing Museum "speaks to this growing affinity towards heritage and a resurgence of retro among our younger guests," Alexin said.

Check out Hamilton here. Check out Heller's full article here.

PS - Thanks Kelly for the heads up.

Tree of Life Is Awe Inspiring

2011-07-07T18:03:00.003-04:00

The Tree of Life is the newest film from genius Terrence Malick. It recently won the Palme d' Or at the Cannes Film Festival, but even there it was polarizing. Apparently somewhere between 5-10% of filmgoers have walked out of the film, calling it too long and boring. Honestly, I feel bad for these people, including ChicagoNow critic Mark Shuster - I hope he isn't paid for his opinions, because they are exceptionally shallow and meaningless.

Instead, I would like to include this snippet from Roger Ebert's perfect distillation of the film:

Many films diminish us. They cheapen us, masturbate our senses, hammer us with shabby thrills, diminish the value of life. Some few films evoke the wonderment of life's experience, and those I consider a form of prayer. Not prayer "to" anyone or anything, but prayer "about" everyone and everything. I believe prayer that makes requests is pointless. What will be, will be. But I value the kind of prayer when you stand at the edge of the sea, or beneath a tree, or smell a flower, or love someone, or do a good thing. Those prayers validate existence and snatch it away from meaningless routine.

Truly, I am not surprised that some moviegoers would walk out on this film, as their chief complaints - that it's too long, it's too quiet, it's non-linear structure doesn't give obvious answers - are all accurate. But those aspects are not negatives, rather they are strengths. Most people do not want to "think" about any form of media they are consuming - they simply want entertainment. This desire has caused all forms of art to become cheapened, to become fast food for the senses. Why do you think that Fast & the Furious 5 made over 100 million dollars?

Sadly, most people simply lack the fundamental taste to be able to approach challenging art forms. They would rather not learn or grow through interaction with artistic mediums merely because those acts can be (and usually are) challenging, and require active mental participation on behalf of the viewer. This effort is flatly not given by most consumers - even "film critics" like Mark Shuster. And this fact is enormously depressing to me, as those un-participative viewers never gain the fruits of the labor of the artist. As an artist I cannot understand this rejection of intellectual dialogue - it makes me feel like what I do is forfeit. But as a thinking human being, it makes me exasperated with the human race.

Go see this film. Go see it in the theater. Expect it to be long. Expect it to be quiet. Expect it to be beautiful, and transformative, like all good art is. Don't expect it to be like other films. Let it wash over you, don't fight it.

Let it wash through you, like a prayer.

Triboro Design Is Sneaky Good

2011-07-07T11:37:00.003-04:00

Triboro Design is an incredible firm from NYC. I ran into their brilliant, Godard/French New Wave inspired typographic design for the Stella Artois Cidre campaign today, and was knocked out with the beauty of their typography. It turns out that I have been impressed with Triboro for years without know it was them. They are also responsible for the GQ Style Manual from last year (which is one of the cleanest, most gorgeous designs of the past decade) as well as TAR Magazine (I purchased the $20 magazine on the cover alone).

They are so, so great - check them out here. For a great rundown of Jean-Luc Godard's usage of typography from the great Steven Heller, go here.

Quote of the Day: Samuel Beckett

2011-07-05T22:04:00.002-04:00

Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better.
– Samuel Beckett

NY Times: Detroit Is The New Tribeca

2011-07-05T21:12:00.003-04:00

Last year the New York Times referred to the city of Detroit as "the new Berlin" for the influx of artists to the city. A new article now refers to The D as "the new Tribeca". Really?

From the New York Times:

Recent census figures show that Detroit’s overall population shrank by 25 percent in the last 10 years. But another figure tells a different and more intriguing story: During the same time period, downtown Detroit experienced a 59 percent increase in the number of college-educated residents under the age of 35, nearly 30 percent more than two-thirds of the nation’s 51 largest cities.

These days the word “movement” is often heard to describe the influx of socially aware hipsters and artists now roaming the streets of Detroit. Not unlike Berlin, which was revitalized in the 1990s by young artists migrating there for the cheap studio space, Detroit may have this new generation of what city leaders are calling “creatives” to thank if it comes through its transition from a one-industry.

Very exciting news all around. The return of the magnificent Broderick Tower is a huge boost to the downtown area. Great article here. Support the D.

Kornrumpf's Emroidered Art Is Enlivening

2011-07-03T14:23:00.002-04:00

Artist Daniel Kornrumpf creates portraits in an unexpected through ancient medium - embroidery.

From Good magazine:

For many the term "embroidery" conjures images of tacky pillows or treacly wall-hangings that say things like "Home is where the heart is." For Pennsylvania artist Daniel Kornrumpf, however, embroidery has become a powerful medium. For a recent series of evocative portraits, Kornrumpf took the stereotypically drab art form and made it all his own, depicting the faces of attractive young people with thousands of patiently strung threads. The works are fantastic, and they're made all the more great by the fact that the embroidery at times looks like paintbrush strokes.

Check out more of his phenomenal work here.

Jim Morrison, Inspiration of My Youth, 40 Years Dead

2011-07-03T12:31:00.007-04:00

When I was growing up in Saginaw, MI I essentially did all the normal things a kid would do. I went to Catholic school, I played lots of sports both in organized leagues (baseball, basketball, soccer, football, track) and on the streets and back alleys (hockey, rugby, badminton, etc). That was what I spent most of my time doing. All my heroes were from the world of sports - George Brett, Wayne Gretzky, Larry Bird, etc. That was my life.

But in junior high I found something else. I found The Doors, and that changed everything. Soon enough I was skulking the halls writing the lyrics of Jim Morrison on my books, listening intently. The Doors were my first musical obsession. They dominated my junior high and high school experiences. I spent hours reading his poetry, but also reading about him - if you caught me as a high school senior you would have found me able to answer virtually and trivia about Morrison - I devoured every detail of his life and work, of his history. I started dressing like him - black pants (because I couldn't find real leather), black t shirt, jean button down, wrap around sunglasses. Even his death was shrouded in the mythical - I spent many hours debating the various conspiracy theories after reading Danny Sugarmen's seminal No One Here Gets Out Alive.

Oliver Stone's controversial film The Doors was released my freshman year of high school, and the impact that film had on me was nuclear. Though the film was scrutinized by the critics, torn apart by the press, for me it was transitory. It was extremely important to me in terms of understanding and interacting with mythology and the mythical realm of rock and roll. While that may seem like hyperbole, that film represented an exemplary view of revolt, of the need for questioning the world around you, that rebel spirit that only seems to flame in youth. My brother LaPorte and I stayed up all night watching The Doors over and over, becoming fired to go out and take on the world. We would be so electrified by these repeated viewings that we would go out in the middle of the night, not really going anywhere, only understanding that we just needed to move.

His oft-critcized poetry was a revelation to me. When I was extremely ill my sophomore year of high school and was off to be in the hospital for weeks at a time, it was a copy of Morrison's The Lords and New Creatures given to me by my friend Bonnie Kahn that stayed on my bedside table. Somehow his words connected me to mystery of the world, the unexplored territories, that I imagined from my bed that kept me dreaming of when I might re-enter the world. But the larger, more important thing was that it kept me dreaming.

But there was another, more important influence Morrison had on me. This was in the pre-internet days, when the only way to to find influential art, music, film, or literature was through a friend, an older brother, a trusted source you might read in an old interview from Rolling Stone. And for me, Morrison was the king of references. He first connected me to finding Arthur Rimbaud's A Season In Hell, which I had to special order from the awful Mall bookstore that only had the NY Times Best Seller list generally. Finding Rimbaud literally changed my life in the most fundamental ways possible. This spark led me to Baudelaire, Mallarme, Verlaine - all the French Symbolists, the group I would later make the focus of my undergraduate studies. It was like a domino effect - he branched me off to Nietzsche, Camus, Sartre, all the existentialists. Then he pointed over to the Beats - Kerouac, Ginsberg, Burroughs. It was like a whole world had suddenly opened before me, and invited me to enter and find this great artistic legacy that I am driven by to this day.

Eventually I grew past him. Since he acted as a catalyst for searching, for the endless eternal quest that the artist goes on, it was inevitable I suppose that I eventually move beyond his grasp. I found so much more in myself and in my own artistic spirit through his push. It was Morrison who opened these doors for me (no pun intended). It was Morrison who sent me off to Europe; it was Morrison who gave me the impetus to start writing poetry which led me to a degree in literature; it was Morrison who allowed me to make sense of so much darkness and brooding within me; it was Morrison who was the lightning rod who broke through (again, no pun intended) so much banality to show me that there was a larger world out there for me if I could only get there; it was Morrison who kicked the first dominoes over, that led to me finding my artistic voice, led me to see the world around me totally differently.

Thank you Jim Morrison, for being the inspiration of my youth. I would not be who I am today without your influence.

Side Note: it just occurred to me that from the time of Morrison's death to my discovery of him, is about the same amount of time between Kurt Cobain's death and today. This makes me feel so, so, so old that I cannot even believe it.

New M83 Album Trailer Looks Expansive

2011-06-28T21:13:00.003-04:00

M83 is one of those bands that you really like, but aren't crazy about until you see them live, and everything changes. I saw them a couple of years ago in Atlanta and they were absolutely phenomenal. At the time they were touring behind their epic last album, Saturdays = Youth. A truly stellar album reached vast new heights in the live setting. In short, their performance took me from liking them to loving them.

Their new double-album is to be released in September, but just to tide us over M83 mainman Anthony Gonzalez has just released this trailer. All indications point to another amazing album.

Stay tuned for more.

Apollo 18 Looks Interesting, Creepy

2011-06-28T18:38:00.002-04:00

Apollo 18 is a new film with a very interesting premise - that the planned Apollo 18 mission that was cancelled really did happen, and that the evidence from that mission has only now been revealed.

From Moviephone:

Officially, Apollo 17, launched December 17th, 1972 was the last manned mission to the moon. But a year later, in December of 1973, two American astronauts were sent on a secret mission to the moon funded by the US Department of Defense. What you are about to see is the actual footage which the astronauts captured on that mission. While NASA denies its authenticity, others say it's the real reason weve never gone back to the moon.

Sounds interesting. To be released in August.

BLK/MRKT Editions Brings The Cool

2011-06-28T17:00:00.005-04:00

BLK/MRKT Edition s sells limited runs of various prints from great artists and graphic designers. There is lots of great stuff there to buy, like these super cool plates - and that is not a sentence I thought I would ever say.

Find them here.

New Bohemia Signs Are Utilitarian History

2011-06-28T09:22:00.005-04:00

The sign painting business is becoming a lost art. But New Bohemia Signs in San Francisco is keeping that tradition alive by creating fresh, retro-inspired signage for businesses in the Bay Area. One of the things I like best about them is that they recognize the artistry of the practice, and sometimes present their craft in galleries as art.

From New Bohemia Signs:

Welcome to New Bohemia Signs. We are designers and sign writers who appreciate the art of a good looking hand-painted sign. Our work can be seen all over San Francisco, please take a look at our portfolio and flickr set. You'll be surprised at what you recognize. An attractive sign is much more likely to draw customers into your business and beautify your neighborhood at the same time. New Bohemia has been hand-painting signs since 1993.

I really encourage you to follow the above links to their flickr set in addition to their site. Tons and tons of exquisite work to be found there. Or start here at their superb site.

Summer Recommendation: The Man Who Fell To Earth

2011-06-24T22:48:00.018-04:00

Coming out of the Space Race era of the 1960's, Science Fiction seemed to arrive into a golden age in the 1970's. The Star Trek franchise had already begun in earnest (along with Lost In Space, The Twilight Zone and other campy TV shows), and David Bowie had reached superstardom through the creation of his Ziggy Stardust persona. By decades end Sci-Fi had become family entertainment through the massive success of Star Wars and Close Encounters of the Third Kind, a trend that would gain considerable steam in the 1980's era of the blockbuster - E.T., The Terminator series, etc.

Yet there was another, more philosophical branch of science fiction that produced two of the finest examples of the genre, Andrei Tarkovsky's Solaris in 1972 and Nicolas Roeg's The Man Who Fell To Earth from 1976. Both films are fine examples of what is important about the Sci-Fi genre - the ability to work in metaphor to explore diverse themes through unique vantage points. These two films are the gold standard for quality, ideological exposition, a bar that few other films - Blade Runner, 2001: A Space Odyssey - also reach.

Director Nicolas Roeg approached Bowie concerning a role in his new film just as Bowie was in the midst of an extremely tumultuous period - having "killed" his Ziggy Stardust persona, he then took on the role of a demon for the visceral Alladin Sane album. Quickly tiring of Alladin Sane, Bowie then took brief excursions into minor characters - Halloween Jack (who came out of his scraped attempt to stage a Nineteen Eighty-Four-themed album and tour, the leftovers then became the Diamond Dogs album - he can be seen in the Rebel Rebel video here), and the Jean Genie (an Elvis-y, rockabilly alien who only existed for the video essentially).

At this point Bowie turned another 180 degrees for the "fake plastic soul" of the Young Americans album, which proved exceptionally successful in terms of financial rewards but did little for Bowie in terms of artistic satisfaction, a situation exacerbated infinitely by his absurdly over-the-top cocaine addiction. For a few years Bowie went through a mental and spiritual breakdown fueled by the rapid succession of living as different personas, essentially acting in roles that continued beyond the stage and into real life. This blurring of personalities caused Bowie to begin to act psychotically, existing solely on milk, peppers, and cocaine while becoming deeply involved in the occult.

The Man Who Fell To Earth would provide Bowie with yet another role to inhabit, but would also allow him to work within film, a new artistic medium for the first time that carried the promise of that which Bowie craved most - artistic evolution. This was the lure that brought Bowie into the film.

What is The Man Who Fell To Earth all about? From Criterion:

The Man Who Fell to Earth is a daring exploration of science fiction as an art form. The story of an alien on an elaborate rescue mission provides the launching pad for Nicolas Roeg’s visual tour de force, a formally adventurous examination of alienation in contemporary life. Rock legend David Bowie, in his acting debut, completely embodies the title role, while Candy Clark, Buck Henry, and Rip Torn turn in pitch-perfect supporting performances. The film’s hallucinatory vision was obscured in the American theatrical release, which deleted nearly twenty minutes of crucial scenes and details.

The film is a brilliant, and subtle exploration of the state of modern man, of the inevitable existential loneliness of the human species. Bowie is simply magnificent as Thomas Jerome Newton, an alien to earth who finds himself no less susceptible to the failings of man. All of the chaos around his personal life found its way into every frame, as Bowie projected alienation, disillusion, and loss - mostly silently without lines. Superb.

Another aspect that I like best about the film is that Roeg does not shy away from pushing the viewer into uncomfortable spaces - and this film certainly does that. Not for the faint of heart - though had you seen the film prior to the last couple of years (when Criterion gloriously restored the film) you would have viewed a badly truncated version that left out all of the pathos of the characters due to cuts by the censor board.

I really don't want to say much more and spoil anything for you. Check it out this summer, it is an off the beaten path cult classic that has much to offer the viewer should you choose to spend the time with it that it deserves.

As a final aside, I would like to also point out that the thought-provoking portion of the Sci-Fi universe lived on last year in the brilliant Moon, written and directed by Duncan Jones, the son of - you guessed it - David Bowie. So enjoy that too when you can.

Are You A Mac Or PC Person?

2011-06-23T10:43:00.003-04:00

Are you a Mac or PC person? This is a pretty standard question nowadays. Me? Yes, I'm a Mac person, to the bone.

Now there is hard data about the differences. It is very interesting, if a bit expected. Worth taking a look for the great infographic.

Check it out here.

Quote Of The Day: Octavio Paz

2011-06-22T22:36:00.004-04:00

Another great Modernism quote from the brilliant Octavio Paz. I think Modernism is starting to make a bit of a comeback.

Bracket Magazine Is Exquisite In Print, Digital

2011-06-22T18:10:00.004-04:00

Bracket Magazine is a new art and design oriented magazine specifically designed for both print and digital editions. The print version is $15, while the digital is only $3. This model I believe will become the standard publishing practice for most magazines in the near future, as the printed "artifact" will move to a premium cost, while the digital will become the emphatic publication itself.

From Bracket:

Bracket is conceived as a publication that features everything in between – ideas, voices and processes that are overlooked and under-appreciated. Brackets are commonly used as parentheses in writing to add supplementary information – containing materials that are seen to be dispensable without destroying or altering the meaning of a sentence. The publication covers topics that in modern day, have become seemingly dispensable.

They have an absolutely exquisite sense of typography at Bracket. And the site is great too.

Check them out here.

Wim Crouwel Mini-Doc Is Important, Inspirational

2011-06-22T15:01:00.005-04:00

Wim Crouwel is not only an important graphic designer, but a significant thinker. What I mean by this is that his modernist aesthetic is truly an extension of his worldview, which is to approach all things with the economy of deliberate purpose. It is this philosophy that is so vital to not only design but to all things produced, created, or utilized.

Submarine Channel (no relation to the post below) has produced this wonderful mini-documentary about the living legend. The real treat here is to listen to Crouwel discuss his work at the retrospective of his design in Switzerland. The man is a treasure.

Do yourself a favor and spend 10 minutes to watch it. Sorry to make you jump over there, but you will be glad that you did. Since they do not allow embedding, go here to check it out.

Submarine More Than A Solid Tribute To The New Wave

2011-06-22T14:45:00.008-04:00

The trailer for the new film Submarine looks fantastic, referencing much of the French New Wave cinema in the editing, sound, shots, color, and even typography, much like Jean-Luc Godard. In other words, it looks great. It also features original music from Alex Turner of the Arctic Monkeys, which also should be cool.

Currently making the rounds at festivals and a wide European release, Submarine should come to America soon I hope.

Submarine also has a fantastic companion site. Go here to check it out.

Heroic Sideman Clarence Clemons Dead At 69

2011-06-19T12:37:00.008-04:00

It seems that when some individuals die, their death seems incomprehensible. Not just because they were strong or larger than life, but because some people just seem invincible. Icons. Blocks of granite. Cornerstones. Tougher than the rest.

Clarence Clemons of the legendary E Street Band was certainly one of those. In my youth rock stars were more like comic book characters, superheroes that sometimes walked amongst the mortals on earth, I took notice of the Big Man (his nickname). I remember watching his ebullient, charismatic smile in Born In The USA era videos on MTV, somehow feeling like I knew him. He was familiar to me, like I had seen him before, like I somehow had already grown to feel great love for this person that I didn't actually know at all but merely smiled back at me through the TV screen.

Now looking back on it, I wonder how much of my own notion of what friendship, of what brotherhood actually looks like was formed from those videos. And the best visual example of what a bond between brothers looks like has to be the cover of Born To Run. The Boss and The Big Man, leaning back to back, an image that spoke volumes; this is what brothers look like. For someone who didn't have a brother, I think that this image taught me what that word - brother - looked like, and in fact, what the word meant.

The other aspect of his legacy is of course the music itself. To be honest, I rarely like horns in rock and roll, and I especially dislike the saxophone in general. But Clemons' sax was always different. Rather than the cringe I normally felt when a horn might come into a song, I felt a twinge of excitement whenever he stepped to the plate. His playing was totally distinct, more soulful, more celebratory, more spiritual than any other sax player in rock history. From the desperate ache of Drive All Night, the cinematic widescreen reach of Jungeland, the broken-hearted wail of 41 Shots, to the out-in-the-street summer bounce of Tenth Avenue Freeze Out or Livin' In The Future or Sherry Darling, the sound of that horn could take you all over the city, a geographic resonance.

Thank you Big Man, for all those lessons and all that beauty. Thank you for all the nights I have spent sitting in an open window overlooking the city as the warm summer breeze filled the room. Thank you for providing the soundtrack to the streets of the Saginaw of my youth, at least in my mind.

You always were too big for this world.

Criterion Brings Immortal Solaris To Blu-Ray

2011-06-18T17:31:00.004-04:00

Filmmaker/Certified Genius Andrei Tarkovsky created a small, but exceptionally powerful group of films in his lifetime. One of his greatest - Solaris - has recently been issued on Blu-Ray for the first time by the incomparable Criterion Collection. A stunning visual feast, the improved image resolution brings to life Tarkovsky's futuristic vision as never seen since the release in 1972.

Why should you go out and buy it? What is so special about Solaris? Here is a brief synopsis from Criterion:

Ground control has been receiving mysterious transmissions from the three remaining residents of the Solaris space station. When cosmonaut and psychologist Kris Kelvin is dispatched to investigate, he experiences the same strange phenomena that afflict the Solaris crew, sending him on a voyage into the darkest recesses of his consciousness. With Solaris, the legendary Russian filmmaker Andrei Tarkovsky created a brilliantly original science-fiction epic that challenges our conceptions about love, truth, and humanity itself.

But that is only half the story. Like the other works of Tarkovsky (especially the brilliant Stalker) much of the film centers around psychology, and will continue to haunt you long after the final frame.

Go to Criterion and buy it here.

Side Note: Steven Soderbergh remade the film in 2002 with George Clooney in the lead role. While it was an admirable take on the original source novel, it is an exercise in futility to attempt a remake of such a monolithic, classic of film history.

Just Kids Is A Moving Tribute To The Artistic Spirit

2011-06-18T11:48:00.008-04:00

Patti Smith is one of those untouchable icons, like Bob Dylan or David Bowie or Iggy Pop or Lou Reed. Those icons that seem so enormous, their work so unassailable, that they don't even seem like people anymore but rather have become symbols, referents to certain larger ideas. They themselves have become metaphors for distinct ideals that we observers can only reference, draw inspiration from, or warm our own creative spirits beside their primordial, immortal fires. They are too colossal to be people; they are simulacrum.

When Patti Smith published her memoir last year - Just Kids - I was immediately interested. Smith had long been a hero and influence on my life and work, and I was intrigued with the opportunity to hear her story in her own words. I was disappointed to learn that the book was written as a tribute to her friend, muse, and sometime lover Robert Mapplethorpe. While I certainly respected Mapplethorpe and his vaunted position in the art world, I was dismayed that the story would not be more centered on Smith herself.

Now having completed the book, I must say that my expectations were completely wrong. Just Kids is a fascinating account of the New York City from the mid-Sixties Warhol / Velvet Underground / Chelsea Hotel through the mid-Seventies, down and dirty / CBGB's / Punk scene - in other words, the NYC of my dreams. If I could have lived at anytime in history, in any place, I would have lived in New York City anytime between 1965-1985. And Smith's book is as much about the atmosphere and ambiance of the art and music scene of that era as it is about Mapplethorpe, or herself. Indeed the book is wonderful, as it presents the period as being magical but not without flaws.

In fact Just Kids is about two innocent, kindred spirits attempting to navigate the ruthless NYC art scene as well as themselves. An odyssey of discovery to find who they really were, and building the courage to live out loud as the people they truly were through the encouragement and positivity of the other. For Mapplethorpe this struggle was to first be comfortable with his homosexuality, then to live openly as the person that he truly was, free from guilt or shame - a transition that allowed him to explore his most significant and ground breaking work. For Smith, this process was about drawing from powerful male influences (Dylan, Rimbaud, Morrison) to form a launching pad from which she would explode as the epicenter of the CBGB's punk scene. Indeed, both Mapplethorpe and Smith were trailblazers, and Just Kids brings to the fore how each supplied the other with what was needed to break new ground - acceptance, understanding, and unconditional love. In this way Just Kids is a love story in the truest sense of the words.

If you are an artist, musician, writer or simply lover of those mediums, then Just Kids is a must read. Smith is such an engaging writer that even if you are not familiar with their lives and work, the read is charming and endearing.

NY Times review is here. Buy it here. You will not regret it.

Francis Ford Coppola Interview Is Inspirational

2011-06-17T16:25:00.004-04:00

Francis Ford Coppola directed some of the finest American films ever made, including The Godfather, The Godfather II, The Godfather III, The Conversation, Apocalypse Now, Rumble Fish, and The Outsiders. A true maverick, Coppola bet everything he had on his own Zoetrope Studios in the early 80's, and lost it all. The Detroit born auteur has long been a hero of mine as well.

Inspiring then that he is in the midst of his own career renaissance. Recently the awesome 99% sat down for a discussion with Coppola about film, art, life, and resilience. And the interview is truly inspiring.

Read it here.

The Wire Is The Greatest Show In Television History

2011-06-17T15:42:00.016-04:00

I heard it for years, over and over. Anytime I read about or heard anyone speak about the HBO show The Wire, the same phrase was always, (and I mean always) mentioned immediately; "The Wire is the best show in history". And it wasn't just the critics that I read making this claim, but also a few of my closest friends whose opinions I respect greatly echoing that same sentiment. It seemed there were two types of people - those who had seen The Wire and claimed it to be the best show in history, and those who had not yet seen it.

So for years I have been wanting to watch it, and never seemed to be able to get my hands on it. Until now. Thanks to HBO GO (which is amazing, and potentially life-altering) a service that allows on-demand viewing of all HBO shows in history, available on your iPad or computer if you subscribe to HBO. Suddenly all shows, all seasons are now open to be explored. And the first night that I downloaded HBO GO, I watched the first episode of The Wire.

The Wire is incredible for many reasons, but one of my favorite is the characters. Genuine, accurate writing combined with truly phenomenal actors blend to create a realism unseen in any television show or film that I have seen. Added to that mix is the spice of true life, non-actors from the mean streets of Baltimore that only lend more weight to the atmosphere of authenticity that permeates every aspect of the show.

Omar is one of the greatest, most original characters in history, and he is not even the "star". The characters are phenomenal, played with passion and believability. Why isn't Dominic West (McNulty) a star? Why isn't Wendell Pierce (Bunk) a household name? If I was a Hollywood executive, I would be hiring these actors immediately. Though HBO was wise enough to cast Michael K. Williams (Omar) in the fledgling Boardwalk Empire and Wendell Pierce in the struggling Treme we really need to see more of their vast talents.

But it is more than a pseudo-documentary. It is epic in scope, viewing the city from several seemingly disparate vantage points (from police to drug dealers, teachers to longshoremen, government administration to junkies) that when viewed as a whole, come into focus as an interconnected entity called Baltimore.

With confidence I can assert that yes, The Wire is the best show in television history. But it is more than that - it truly is a "visual novel" as some critics have described it, every bit as sweeping as The Godfather mixed with the gritty legitimacy of a documentary. The Wire supersedes television - it is too big for that small of a medium. No, The Wire is something else, something more significant than what we refer to as "TV".

Long live The Wire - the best show in the history of television.

Flying Junction's Vintage Subway Signs Are Living History

2011-06-15T12:49:00.003-04:00

I have long been a fan of the signage of the NYC Subway system. From their early days, through their absolutely perfect Vignelli-designed 70's incarnation, through to today, much of the signage has been and continues to be a living, breathing work of art as environmental typography. AIGA has a brilliant article about the evolution of the NYC Subway system here.

Ace Harrison also loves old subway type, which is what drove him to begin faithfully recreating it for his Flying Junction company.

From Flying Junction:

A Flying Junction is a railway junction at which one ore more diverging or converging tracks in a multiple-track route cross other tracks on the route by bridge to avoid conflict with other train movements. My prints and canvas signs are inspired by original subway signs and bus scrolls dating back to the early 1900's. I use hand-lettering techniques to create authentic, vintage looking reproductions of the original signs and scrolls. I believe that taking the time and care in my work to come as close to the originals as possible gives the viewer a more powerful feeling of connection with the cities and times represented.

They are relatively inexpensive - $19 through $129. And wow, do they look legit.

Buy them here.

Derringer Cycles Are The Coolest Thing On Two Wheels

2011-06-15T00:08:00.004-04:00

In the past I wrote about the RatRod cycling industry, and the inspired retro-styling of RatRod bikes. Derringer Cycles utilizes some of the same vintage styling but goes to a new level through their products.

Derringer Cycles are absolutely more motorcycle than bicycle, and the difference is obvious upon first glance. The designs are absolutely gorgeous, and by all reports they are all around killer machines to ride. And like alot of other great inventions from history, necessity was the mother of invention in inspiring their function.

From Executive Edits:

Derringer Cycles neo-classical interpretation of the old board track racers, place the rider in an aggressive riding position without compromising safety. In this way, style plays a more active role in the vehicles function. “You feel as though you are riding 100mph when in reality you are moving much slower.” In truth, a custom Derringer tops out at 35mph. They have a lot of torque and are quicker. Lighter. “A Derringer Cycle has ‘it’ when it comes to mopeds”.

For lots more, go here. Also, Executive Edits has a great interview with Derringer Cycle maker Adrian Van Anz - go here to check it out. It is a very worthwhile read.

Quote Of The Day: Massimo Vignelli

2011-06-14T23:10:00.006-04:00

Minimalism is not a style, it is an attitude, a way of being. It's a fundamental reaction against noise, visual noise, disorder, vulgarity. Minimalism is the pursuit of the essence of things, not the appearance.

– Massimo Vignelli

The Scout Interview With House Industries Is Necessary

2011-06-14T22:57:00.004-04:00

House Industries is one of the most innovative type foundries operating today. I have long been a huge fan of their retro-contemporary approach. Recently The Scout sat down with House head honcho Andy Cruz to discuss their practice.

Great stuff. Read the complete interview here.

Summer Film Recommendation: Paris, Texas

2011-06-14T21:42:00.004-04:00

I don't know what it is about summer, but I find that I really like to watch alot of films during that season. Maybe it is because I live in South Carolina now and can't watch the Detroit Tigers everynight (they aren't broadcast down here), but I find myself watching even more films than normal from June until August. So I thought I would make some Summer Film Recommendations.

The first film I would like to kick off this column with is the brilliant Wim Wenders film Paris, Texas. The film won the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival in 1984, was written by the superb Sam Shepherd, and features a subtly beautiful soundtrack written and performed by the legendary Ry Cooder. It features the incredibly underrated Harry Dean Stanton and Natassja Kinski as well as Dean Stockwell and Aurore Clement in career defining performances.

From Wikipedia:

The film stars character actor Harry Dean Stanton as Travis, who has been lost for four years and is taken in by his brother (played by Dean Stockwell). He later tries to put his life back together and understand what happened between him, his wife Jane (Nastassja Kinski), and his son Hunter (Hunter Carson)...Paris, Texas is notable for its images of the Texas landscape and climate. The first shot is a bird's eye-view of the desert, a bleak, dry, alien landscape. Shots follow of old advertisement billboards, placards, graffiti, rusty iron carcasses, old railway lines, neon signs, motels, seemingly never-ending roads, and Los Angeles, finally culminating in some famous scenes shot outside a drive-through bank in down-town Houston. The cinematography is typical of Robby Müller's work, a long-time collaborator of Wim Wenders...The film is accompanied by a slide-guitar score by Ry Cooder, based on Blind Willie Johnson's "Dark Was the Night, Cold Was the Ground".

That description describes the tangible objects and locations in the film, but does not describe the incredible atmosphere created through lighting, pacing, and music. The film does not look or sound dated in the least; in fact it looks as if it may have just been released due to the clarity of the cinematography, the way the each frame looks like a sublime, magical-realism photograph.

And the performances are staggering, painful and moving. The scene between Travis and Jane is one of the greatest in cinema history. I don't want to say much about it to spoil anything for you, but if you still have a dry eye at it's close then you may need to check yourself for a pulse.

Paris, Texas is an achingly beautiful meditation on the existential, inevitable distance between human beings. A truly unique film experience. If you have some time this summer, check it out.

If You Crave Good Design, Look For Crave Collective

2011-06-13T15:22:00.005-04:00

The good people over at Crave Collective - Phil Belger, Jivan Dave, and Kelly Johnson are hungry. Hungry for design, for art, for life.

From Crave:

We are Crave Collective, a tight trio of creatives who share a passion for design, photography, printing, and culture. We're ready to feast on the smorgasbord that is the world.

Need something designed? Why not get these design-sleuths on it? I can vouch for their talent, but now you should hire them. Good design by good people.

Go here to get yer Crave. I highly recommend them.

This Is Display Is The Most Beautiful Site Possible

2011-06-13T15:17:00.004-04:00

This Is Display is:

Display is a curated collection of important modern, mid 20th century graphic design books, periodicals, advertisements and ephemera. Documenting, preserving and providing public access to these original materials will raise the profile of Graphic Design as a source of educational, historical and scholarly analysis for teachers, students, designers and independent researchers. From the rational to the experimental to the playful – our collection is varied and represents a distinct point of view about mid-century graphic design, typography and beyond.

This seriously is the most beautiful site that I have ever seen before. I worship at it's feet...ugh, it's so perfect. Created by the geniuses over at Kind Company. It is so good it makes me physically ill, a little woozy and nauseous. No, really, it is that amazing.

Just go there.

New TIMSPEAKER.COM Is Finally Active

2011-06-13T15:05:00.004-04:00

After several weeks of work, the new timspeaker.com site is up, featuring much new work. The site is not fully populated yet, but I will continue to add material as I finish preparing it. Virtually all of the Art galleries are up and functioning, but the Design galleries might take awhile as I track down old files and projects. Too much moving around the country tends to cause items to disappear over time.

Big thanks to Jivan Dave (of the illustrious and aforementioned Crave Collective) for his assistance in helping get my feet wet with Cargo. Check out his killer new site here.

In the meantime, please visit the new and improved timspeaker.com.

Wieden+Kennedy Give Simple, Sage Advice

2011-06-13T14:55:00.005-04:00

Wieden+Kennedy are an amazing design firm out of Portland OR. Their creative director recently shared his 10 Lessons For Designers.

From Swiss-Miss:

John C. Jay, Wieden+Kennedy’s executive creative director, offers some thought-provoking ideas about design:

1. Be authentic. The most powerful asset you have is your individuality, what makes you unique. It’s time to stop listening to others on what you should do.
2. Work harder than anyone else and you will always benefit from the effort.
3. Get off the computer and connect with real people and culture. Life is visceral.
4. Constantly improve your craft. Make things with your hands. Innovation in thinking is not enough.
5. Travel as much as you can. It is a humbling and inspiring experience to learn just how much you don’t know.
6. Being original is still king, especially in this tech-driven, group-grope world.
7. Try not to work for stupid people or you’ll soon become one of them.
8. Instinct and intuition are all-powerful. Learn to trust them.
9. The Golden Rule actually works. Do good.
10. If all else fails, No. 2 is the greatest competitive advantage of any career.

Quipsologies Is A Design Think Wonderland

2011-06-13T14:49:00.004-04:00

Quipsologies is a site where designers can post something they find noteworthy or interesting in the world of graphic design.

From Quipsologies:

Quipsologies, is a division of UnderConsideration, chronicling the most curious, creative, and notable projects, stories, and events of the graphic design industry on a daily basis.

The site is kind of a bottomless pit of awesome. Go there if you need to kill like 50 hours of your life.

Quipsologies is here.

MOMA Goes Cargo For Their Superb New Site

2011-06-13T14:39:00.004-04:00

The Museum of Modern Art in NYC recently unveiled their new site for their Department of Advertising and Graphic Design. The team works in house to design the entire exhibition space and campaign behind their special installations.

From MOMA:

...a selection of our recent exhibition designs, advertising campaigns, and printed materials—all produced for and in collaboration with the Museum’s many departments, from curatorial to education to visitor services.

Not only does the work on the site look phenomenal, but the site design itself is also tremendous. Of course they chose to utilize the Cargo Collective interface, which is also what my new site - timspeaker.com - is also accessing. Cargo is brilliant and beautiful, like a designer-ly Penelope Cruz.

Check out the MOMA site here. Check out Cargo here.

Lost Type Is The Future Of Typographic Distribution

2011-06-13T14:30:00.003-04:00

The Lost Type Co-Op is the first site to offer type designers an outlet to sell their work, in a pay-what-you-want format. Designers can sell their newest face in a great environment, where others will utilize their face and pay for it accordingly. Sounds great all around.

As Radiohead proved last year, this new model for selling your art can be successful. Even Panera cafe has attempted a pay-what-you-want model for some of their stores, and the experiment has proven so successful that they are opening more every month.

I believe that this will become more the standard for many products, especially within the artistic disciplines. Not only do artists become compensated for their work, but it seems an honest way for all people who enjoy a product or service to be part of their transactions in a more meaningful way.

I hope that this trend continues. In the meantime, go here to check out Lost Type.

Kind Company Makes Beautiful Virtual Things

2011-06-13T14:21:00.004-04:00

Kind Company designs websites, printed materials, and identities. And seriously, there is nobody better in a business chock full of talented people.

From their site:

Kind Company is a small, 2-4 person, independent web and print design office in Brooklyn, New York. Since 2004, partners Patricia Belen and Greg D'Onofrio have been using design as a tool to help small to medium sized businesses communicate their ideas, products and services.

Check them out here - their is a ton of amazing work to be found there. The website design work is absolutely to die for.

Please Be Patient, Excuse My Digital Dust

2011-06-12T14:50:00.004-04:00

Hey there loyal readers. As you may have noticed, there are many changes afoot here at Speak A&D. These changes are in accordance with the fresh new redesign of timspeaker.com. I want to beg your patience for the blog redesign that I am currently working on. This may cause things to be a bit chaotic here for a bit, but please bear with me.

If you haven't stopped by timspeaker.com in awhile, please do, as it is a totally new home for my work.

Thank you for your understanding and support.

Alexander McQueen At The Met Is A Fitting Requiem

2011-06-12T12:03:00.006-04:00

Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty Pt. I from RUNWAY PASSPORT on Vimeo.

Alexander McQueen, who referred to himself as "the Edgar Allen Poe of fashion" committed suicide last year at the age of 40. His work often drew upon Gothic inspiration and British history, two unique approaches that manifest in the work in a dramatic, sweeping arrangement.

Currently the Met in New York City is hosting an exhibition of his work. Even viewing the show in the film above, the presentation is stunning. It runs from May 4-August 11. More here.

Thanks Pete for the heads up.

Art Bomb Show Was Great, Thanks Crave Collective

2011-05-31T10:06:00.007-04:00

Crave Collective at the Art Bomb Annual Spring Show from Crave Collective on Vimeo.

The newly formed Crave Collective are great people, solving all your design needs. They designed the t-shirts at the Art Bomb Spring Show this year. This little film is their take on the event, selling shirts. Great stuff.

Check them out here.

Art Bomb Spring Show Film Is Fun, Accurate

2011-05-22T14:09:00.004-04:00

This little film was to promote the Art Bomb Spring Show, made by the illustrious David Slone.

Enjoy.

Springstreets Poster Makes You Glad To Be Alive

2011-05-10T13:11:00.002-04:00

The excellent Dan Cassaro has created this amazing poster from Bruce Springsteen's lyrics.

Yeah, it's that awesome. Buy one here.

Art Bomb 10th Anniversary Show Will Be Epic

2011-05-10T13:07:00.002-04:00

It's that time of year folks, time for the Art Bomb Spring Show. This one is extra special, as it is the 10th anniversary of the place we all know and love as the Art Bomb.

Come out May 21st from 6-10. Bring yer friends. And buy some art from good people.

See you there.

An Entire Magazine Design In 90 Seconds

2011-04-25T14:26:00.003-04:00

Little White Lies

Download:

FLV MP4 3GP

is a good magazine of art, music, etc. In the video, their entire creative process for an issue is condensed to 90 seconds. And it is amazing. And it reminds me of Ivy Leaves a bit too.

Thanks Nomes for the heads up.

Louise Fili Subway Poster Is Historical, Impactful

2011-04-25T10:45:00.002-04:00

The great Louise Fili has designed a subway poster for the NYC subway system for the School of Visual Arts. The posters draws upon the antique signage still present in the subway system, embedded into the mosaic tiling. While the signage has been totally updated through the years, the original mosaic tiling remains intact in most cases.

Fili was able to create something as timeless and beautiful as the original signage, with a superb literary reference as well. Beautiful.

Check out her process here.

LetterMPress Is Worthy, Needs Your Help

2011-04-25T10:08:00.002-04:00

LetterMPress is a Kickstarter project to bring authentic letterpress to the iPad. Sounds strange huh? Watch the film above - they explain the whole thing.

Contribute here. Keep Letterpress alive.

Muse Marie-France Pisier Was Lovely, RIP

2011-04-24T12:36:00.007-04:00

On the heels of the death of American legend Elizabeth Taylor, comes Marie-France Pisier, starlet of the French New Wave, dead at 66.

Pisier began her film career when she starred as Colette in Truffaut's wonderful short film Antoine and Colette in 1962. This was the follow up to the spectacular The 400 Blows, which led to further extensions of the Antoine Doinel film cycle, where Pisier reprised the character of Colette in both Stolen Kisses (1968) and Love On The Run (1978).

I am a huge, huge fan of Truffaut, and in particular, the Antoine Doinel cycle. Pisier is magnificent in these films, especially in Antoine and Colette as the gorgeous but unattainable object of desire for the young Doinel. The scene where he first spots her in the cinema is pure magic, a poignant snapshot of the exact moment when a young man falls for a beautiful girl - all played out through the expressions between Antoine and Colette, without dialogue. These are some of my favorite moments in film history.

Marie-France Pisier, Rest In Peace.

Rockwell Typeface Playing Cards Are Playful, Brilliant

2011-04-24T10:24:00.003-04:00

Spotted these playing cards made up entirely from the typeface Rockwell. They are amazing, really opening the expressive, playful, child-like nature of Rockwell. I have always liked that face since working with Silas Godfrey on his typeface Dr. Dash, which was derived from Rockwell.

Check them out here - they are fantastic. And check out Silas' Dr. Dash here.

Shed Labs Is Here (In Greenville) To Save The Day

2011-04-24T10:16:00.003-04:00

Shed Labs is a partnership between several brilliant designers - Wellington Payne, Robbie Cobb, and Beau Bailey, right here in Greenville SC. They offer first rate illustration, design, and gig poster printing.

I know Wellington and Robbie, and they are two of the most brilliant minds you will ever come across. And they are super nice guys to boot. If you need any work, go to them. They will blow your minds and come in on budget.

Find them here.

Veer Brings Letraset To Their House Typefaces

2011-04-24T10:09:00.003-04:00

I have always loved Letraset, the old-school dry transfer method of placing typography. Beyond graphic design, Francis Bacon used the stuff with significant success in his later paintings, and my friend and genius painter Ryan Nygard also used Letraset in his own work.

Now Veer has created new Letraset-style dry transfers for their own house typefaces. This is especially important, as Letraset has become increasingly difficult to get ahold of.

Try some, buy some, you will enjoy it.

Jesse Arneson Is A Typographic Master

2011-04-17T23:11:00.002-04:00

Jesse Arneson's old school, early 20th century silent film typography for the website to the AIGA New Mexico Showdown is some of the most beautiful type I have seen in a long time. And there is lots more on the actual site here.

You should also check out the rest of Arneson's killer work here.

Curtis Jenkins Is Phenomenal

2011-04-17T23:00:00.004-04:00

Just stumbled onto this phenomenal work by fellow former Madison-ian Curtis Jenkins.

Woah.

More here.

Truisms Are Timely

2011-04-17T22:29:00.003-04:00

That's the thing about truisms - they always seem right on time.

More to be found here.

The Entire History of the Title Sequence In 2 Minutes

2011-04-11T22:19:00.002-04:00

A Brief History of Title Design from Ian Albinson on Vimeo.

Wow, this really is amazing. The entire history of the title sequence, all in two minutes. Truly incredible.

Every Photographer In NYC Project Is Envy Inducing

2011-04-11T19:40:00.003-04:00

The Every Photographer in New York Project attempts to photograph - in a photobooth no less - some of the best young photogs working in NYC today. It's making me jealous - this is where I would like to be.

Enjoy.

Visual World History Via Wikipedia Is Incredible

2011-03-27T10:58:00.003-04:00

A History of the World in 100 Seconds from Gareth Lloyd on Vimeo.

Wow, this is amazing. This history of the world in 100 seconds.

From ragtag.com:

Many Wikipedia articles are tagged with geographic coordinates. Many have references to historic events. Cross referencing these two subsets and plotting them year on year adds up to a dynamic visualization of Wikipedia's view of world history.

Color Me Obsessed Is Worthy, Timely

2011-03-10T13:03:00.003-05:00

Color Me Obsessed is a documentary film about The Replacements, one of the greatest American rock n roll bands of all time. The film focuses on the importance of the band to what is still sadly a cult, underground group of fans. This was a band that should have been a household name - after all, they had the accessible, real songwriting of leader Paul Westerburg (truly one of the greatest songwriters who ever set words to melody) that just never won over a deserved mass audience.

I have been a Replacements fan since my friend Pete made me a mixtape of Mats songs that kicked off with a live version of I Will Dare - a song so infectious that I became an instant fan. Of course it was songs like the immortal Here Comes A Regular that cemented them in my still teenage heart. That fact that this film even exists makes me realize how truly old I am.

Support the film, support the Mats. Long Live the Replacements.

Rolling Record Store Is Proper

2011-03-10T12:46:00.006-05:00

The Third Man Rolling Record Store from Thid Man Records on Vimeo.

Jack White is one of the coolest people walking the planet. And it is ideas like his Rolling Record Store that make him so. Having discovered that 97% of American high school students have never been to a real record store (a shocking, and wholly disturbing notion), White decided to "bring the store to them" by putting the entire Third Man Records catalog on wheels. So, so cool.

Check out his Third Man Records here.

Alphabet In Motion Is Transitional

2011-03-05T22:51:00.006-05:00

The Alphabet from n9ve on Vimeo.

Watch this little type movie. It is only a minute, check it out.

Los Angeles Literary Bar Scene Is Unexpected, Desired

2011-03-05T13:40:00.003-05:00

Read about the rising literary themed bar scene cropping up in Los Angeles currently. I had no idea that this existed, but now I have a good reason to go to L.A.

From the excellent For Absolute Beginners:

Of course some people think they go together like miniature dogs and novelty costumes. Which is why, apparently, "literary bars" are now "totally hip" in LA.

Cool. Check out more here.

Top Ten Most Played Albums While Blogging

2011-03-05T13:35:00.004-05:00

In honor of the 600th Post, straight from my iTunes Most Played playlist, comes my Top Ten Most Played Albums While Blogging:

01. The Idiot - Iggy Pop
02. White Light/White Heat - The Velvet Underground
03. Low - David Bowie
04. Saturdays = Youth - M83
05. Journal For Plague Lovers - Manic Street Preachers
06. Rock N Roll Animal - Lou Reed
07. The Pains of Being Pure At Heart - The Pains of Being Pure At Heart
08. Unknown Pleasures - Joy Division
09. The XX - The XX
10. Two Suns - Bat For Lashes

Strange, I never noticed until now that the album that I have most played over the past three years is my much, much beloved The Idiot by Iggy Pop. Amazing, but I guess I never thought about it until now...

Happy 600th Post to Speak A&D

2011-03-05T12:53:00.005-05:00

So here we are: post number 600 on the ol' Speak A&D Blog. It truly blows my mind to find out that I've had over 20,000 individual viewers of this site.

I sincerely want to thank my readers - your kindness and support have been wonderful over these past few excellent years.

Hope you've enjoyed it - I surely have.

Typography In Rome Is Immensely Beautiful

2011-03-05T12:22:00.002-05:00

I stumbled onto this incredible flickr set of street typography in Rome. Wow.

From the wonderful Design Work Life:

This incredible set of photographs by Paul Soulellis is making me want to hop on the next plane to Rome. What an amazing source of inspiration.

Enjoy.

Current Obsession: Discreet Music by Brian Eno

2011-03-01T22:11:00.000-05:00

Discreet Music is an ambient, four track gem from 1975 by Brian Eno. Opening with a nearly 30 minute, extremely quiet, synth piled upon synth opener, the album lays claim as being one of the earliest examples of ambient music mastery. But it is the following, classical pieces which explore the basic structure of ultra-famous Canon In D that drive this album into the stratosphere. Tracks 2-4 are some of the most soaring, moving, instrumental works you are likely to ever hear.

While it may not be the most accessable music, Discreet Music certainly is emotive, and will drive you to aural locations you most likely will never explore again.

Moving stuff - give it a try for something totally different from the everyday, run of the mill.

RIP Suze Rotolo, Freewheelin' Cover Star (1943-2011)

2011-03-01T21:42:00.005-05:00

Cover star of the classic album Freewheelin' Bob Dylan - Suze Rotolo - has died today. For generations of music fans, her beautiful smile and Beat charms seemed to encapsulate the work of the young Bob Dylan, trudging down snow covered Manhattan streets. She embodied the romantic notions of young men everywhere, young men like me, crossing snow lined backstreets in Saginaw, MI.

Rest in peace to youth, rest in peace to generations before, and after. Rest in peace Suze Rotolo, rest in peace.

This Is Incredibly Moving

2011-02-22T21:19:00.003-05:00

This mash up of the silent film Sunrise and Bruce Springsteen's live cover of Suicide's classic song Dream Baby Dream is incredible. So, so, so moving.

Oh....wow....

Spiekermann Putting the Face Back In Typefaces

2011-02-18T10:59:00.005-05:00

Erik Spiekermann - Putting Back the Face into Typeface from Gestalten on Vimeo.

Design hero Erik Spiekermann is a man never short on opinions. Often those opinions are hilarious, true, and little mean all at the same time.

Check this great film put out by Fontshop featuring more of his considerable thoughts.

Enjoy.

The Ghosts Looks Really Cool In a 50's Kinda Way

2011-02-14T19:18:00.004-05:00

The Ghosts - Trailer from Eddie O'KEEFE on Vimeo.

This is the trailer for The Ghosts, a short film by Eddie O'Keefe. I don't know much else, but there are some absolutely killer shots in this.

More can be found on the awesome site for it here.

Massimo Vignelli Film Is Vital

2011-02-13T18:20:00.003-05:00

Massimo Vignelli from John Madere on Vimeo.

Massimo Vignelli - both the man and his message - are vital to the field of design. This short interview with him is fascinating and engaging.

Enjoy.

Top Fifty David Bowie Songs of All Time UPDATED

2011-02-13T13:54:00.009-05:00

One of the ways that I attempt to make sense of or understand a body of work by an artist is through the process of listmaking. This ordering provides me the opportunity to examine the work in an proficient manner, one which allows the significance of the work - emotionally, personally, autobiographically, creatively, inventively, spiritually, etc. - to emerge without emphasis on extraneous, unimportant factors such as sales, chart placement, etc. allowing a clearer perspective of the overarching magnitude of the work itself.

It is with this in mind that I offer you my first truly epic list - my Top Fifty David Bowie Songs of All Time.

Enjoy.

50. Kooks - Hunky Dory

49. Blackout – Heroes

48. All The Young Dudes - B-Side from Aladdin Sane

47. Blue Jean – Tonight

46. Heathen (The Rays) - Heathen

45. Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps) - Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps)

44. Oh! You Pretty Things – Hunky Dory

43. The Secret Life of Arabia - Heroes

42. Rebel Rebel - Diamond Dogs

41. Oh! You Pretty Things – Hunky Dory

40. Diamond Dogs – Diamond Dogs

39. Absolute Beginners – Absolute Beginners Soundtrack

38. Slip Away - Heathen

37. We Are The Dead - Diamond Dogs

36. Space Oddity – Space Oddity

35. Speed of Life - Low

34. Breaking Glass - Low

33. Queen Bitch – Hunky Dory

32. Be My Wife - Low

31. Beauty and the Beast - Heroes

30. Stay - Station To Station

29. A New Career In A New Town - Low

28. Drive-In Saturday - Aladdin Sane

27. Starman - The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust & the Spiders From Mars

26. Boys Keep Swinging - Lodger

25. Look Back In Anger - Lodger

24. Young Americans - Young Americans

23. Cat People (Putting Out the Fire) - Let’s Dance

22. Ziggy Stardust - The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust & the Spiders From Mars

21. The Man Who Sold the World - The Man Who Sold the World

20. Panic In Detroit - Aladdin Sane

19. Teenage Wildlife - Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps)

18. Warszawa - Low

17. Joe the Lion - Heroes

16. Golden Years - Station To Station

15. Wild Is The Wind - Station To Station

14. Sound and Vision - Low

13. Word On A Wing - Station To Station

12. Cracked Actor - Aladdin Sane

11. Watch That Man - Aladdin Sane

10. Rock N Roll With Me - Diamond Dogs

09. Modern Love - Let’s Dance

08. Rock N Roll Suicide - The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust & the Spiders From Mars

07. The Width of a Circle - The Man Who Sold the World

06. Always Crashing In the Same Car - Low

05. Five Years - The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust & the Spiders From Mars

04. Life On Mars? – Hunky Dory

03. Station to Station - Station To Station

02. Ashes To Ashes - Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps)

01. Heroes – Heroes

Yes, I realize this blog has been Bowie-centric of late, but that is where I'm at right now.

Madison Institute of Musicologists Official Winners 2010

2011-02-13T12:48:00.009-05:00

This is a little bit late, but below are the Madison Institute of Musicologist (MIM) Top Ten Night Official Ballots, and the overall winner list as well. Let's begin there with the official selections, then the individual ballots. In addition to the below, you can read mine here.

And the overall winners are...

1. The National - High Violet 67 points (9 votes)

2. Arcade Fire - The Suburbs 45 points (7 votes)

3. The Black Keys - Brothers 32 points (6 votes)

4. The Roots - How I Got Over 32 points (5 votes)

5. Spoon - Transference 28 points (4 votes)

6. Gaslight Anthem - American Slang 24 points (4 votes)

7. Kanye West - My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy 23 points (3 votes)

8. Los Campesinos! - Romance is Boring 21 points (3 votes)

9. Broken Bells - Broken Bells 18 points (4 votes)

10. Delta Spirit - History From Below 18 points (2 votes)

And the individual ballots...

Mary Fahndrich

Los Campesinos! - Romance is Boring
The National - High Violet
Gaslight Anthem - American Slang
Beach House - Teen Dream
Arcade Fire - The Suburbs
Wolf Parade - Expo 86
Yeasayer - Odd Blood
New Pornographers - Together
The Walkmen - Lisbon
The Black Keys - Brothers

Kevin Kiley

The Black Keys - Brothers
The National - High Violet
Delta Spirit - History from Below
Ryan Bingham & the Dead Horses - Junky Star
The Gaslight Anthem - American Slang
Drive-By Truckers - The Big To-Do
Tift Merritt - See You on the Moon
Spoon - Transference
The Roots - How I Got Over
Bobby Bare Jr. - A Storm, A Tree, My Mother’s Head

Lauren Lofton

1. The National -- High Violet
2. Los Campesinos! -- Romance Is Boring
3. Superchunk -- Majesty Shredding
4. Arcade Fire -- The Suburbs
5. The Roots -- How I Got Over
6. Chris Pureka -- How I Learned To See In The Dark
7. Laura Veirs -- July Flame
8. Beach House -- Teen Dream
9. Broken Bells -- Broken Bells
10. Tallest Man On Earth -- Wild Hunt

Peter Fahndrich

1. The Black Keys - Brothers
2. The National - High Violet
3. Arcade Fire - The Suburbs
4. The Love Language - Libraries
5. Spoon - Transference
6. Deerhunter - Halycon Digest
7. The Walkmen - Lisbon
8. Los Campesinos! - Romance is Boring
9. Menomena - Mines
10. The Gaslight Anthem - American Slang

Gia Weier

1. Delta Spirit – History from Below
2. Laura Veirs – July Flame
3. Doug Paisley – Constant Companion
4. Stephanie Finch and the Company Men – Cry Tomorrow
5. Caitlin Rose – Own Side Now
6. The Black Keys – Brothers
7. The National – High Violet
8. Bobby Bare, Jr. - A Storm, A Tree, My Mother's Head
9. Tift Merritt – See You on the Moon
10. Justin Townes Earle - Harlem River Blues

Matt Hujet

1. The Roots – How I Got Over
2. Spoon - Transference
3. The National – High Violet
4. Vampire Weekend - Contra
5. Broken Bells – Broken Bells
6. LCD Soundsystem – This Is Happening
7. Kanye West – My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
8. Arcade Fire – The Suburbs
9. The Walkmen - Lisbon
10. The Black Keys – Brothers

Karley Hujet

1. Kanye West – My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
2. The Roots – How I Got Over
3. Broken Bells – Broken Bells
4. Deerhunter – Halcyon Digest
5. The National – High Violet
6. Massive Attack - Heligoland
7. Bonobo – Black Sands
8. Arcade Fire – The Suburbs
9. Junip - Fields
10. LCD Soundsystem – This Is Happening

Kevin Eichorst

10: Beach House - Teen Dream
09: Broken Bells - Broken Bells
08: Menomena - Mines
07: The National - High Violet 06: The Roots - How I Got Over
05: Sufjan Stevens - The Age of Adz
04: Local Natives - Gorilla Manor
03: The Arcade Fire - The Suburbs
02: Kanye West - My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
01: Spoon - Transference

Tim Speaker

10. LCD Soundsystem – This Is Happening
09. Lower Dens – Twin-Hand Movement
08. Black Rebel Motorcycle Club – Beat the Devil’s Tattoo
07. The Black Ryder – Buy The Ticket, Take The Ride
06. Crocodiles – Sleep Forever
05. The Walkmen – Lisbon
04. The Black Keys – Brothers
03. The National – High Violet
02. The Gaslight Anthem – American Slang
01. The Arcade Fire – The Suburbs