The New Hybridity: “Bird Lovers, Backyard” by Thalia Field and “Floats Horse-floats or Horse-flows” by Leslie Scalapino
Jeff T. Johnson09.06.10
What constitutes hybrid writing? Select from the following list: a) a combining of different literary forms, b) literary collage, c) literary collaboration, d) a compressing and combining of words and phrases. In Bird Lovers, Backyard, Thalia Field applies her hybrid poetry form to a biographical work on Nazi-sympathizing physiologist Konrad Lorenz and a consideration of the last member of the now-extinct dusky seaside sparrow species/sub-species — a bird that lived out its final days in the Walt Disney World Resort. Float Horse-float or Horse-flows is the final work published by Bay Area experimental writer Leslie Scalapino before her death last May. Her friend, collaborator and longtime Fanzine contributor Kevin Killian described her in an obituary in The Bay Citizen as a spiritual writer with a beautiful voice and a great sense of humor.
Repetition with Variation: The Sound of an Electronic Summer — Tobacco “Maniac Meat,” The Books “The Way Out,” Autechre “Move of Ten” and Matmos / So Percussion “Treasure State”
Jeff Rovinelli08.30.10
In Ray Bradbury’s Dandelion Wine, Douglas says to his 10-year-old brother Tom: "You realize that every summer we do the same thing over and over. . . like making dandelion wine, like buying new tennis shoes, like shooting off the first firecracker of the year, like making lemonade, like getting slivers in our feet, like picking wild fox grapes. Every year the same things, the same way, no change, no difference. That’s one half of summer, Tom." But the other half of the summer, they soon realize, is things you do for the first time. Jeff Rovinelli of Tiny Mix Tapes takes on four of this summer’s most interesting experimental electronic music albums, looking at the limitations of having an established sound and the possibilities for expanding, altering and incorporating new methods within that.
Enough, enough, enough, enough enough: Perfume Genius’ Unlearning
Claire Donato08.28.10
Often appearing bare-chested in his homemade music videos and promo photos, 26-year-old Mike Hadreas, who performs under the name Perfume Genius, seems to have become something of an internet gay pin-up icon. At the same time, it’s an appropriate image to represent his vulnerable, emotionally volatile songwriting, which has attracted praise from captivating bay area songwriter Xiu Xiu and British band Los Campesinos! Through his music, poet Claire Donato investigates how repetition — in storytelling, memory and melody — can soothe a traumatic past.
Music: Beach Beach Beach Beach Beach Beach
Casey McKinney08.27.10
So before the contrarianly calendared American Labor Day arrives, let’s figure… who was king or queen of the beach this summer? A redemptive LP…
Tony O’Neill’s Hollywood Frolic
Jim Ruland08.18.10
Sick City is the most recent novel from Tony O’Neill. A master at telling his own story, he has also helped others to tell theirs. He worked on Neon Angel, the memoir of Runaways lead signer Cherie Currie, which was recently adapted into the film starring Dakota Fanning. He also assisted on the New York Times bestseller Hero of the Underground by Jason Peters, an All-American Defensive Tackle and NFL player, about his addiction to heroin and cocaine. Tony O’Neill has had a taste of hard living himself and here offers Jim Ruland a tour of Hollywood’s seedy underbelly. Accompanying photos of O’Neill courtesy of Jim Ruland.
Solex vs. Pandora: Elisabeth Esselink Reviews Her Own Pandora Station
Elisabeth Esselink07.06.10
Dutch musician Solex a.k.a Elisabeth Esselink reviews her own Pandora radio station. Solex’s sample-based albums are not to be missed. Low Kick, Hard Bop is filled with thwarted, fractured jazz, while on The Laughingstock of Indie Rock she samples and duets with recordings of a man she’d never met who sent her his accapella rendition of the entire White Album. Esselink is also a former record store owner, which made her seem an ideal person to evaluate Pandora — a company that, after years of losing money hand over fist, has recently become one of the few entities in the music industry to turn a profit. Solex also has a new album out – Amsterdam Throwdown, King Street Showdown, a collaboration with Jon Spencer of the Blues Explosion and Christina Martinez of Boss Hog, featuring this stylin’ video.
Kelis Has Gone All Fourth Of July On Us Mofos
Bradford Nordeen07.04.10
"Nothing I’ll ever say or do will be as good as loving you," croons Kelis on "4th of July (Fireworks)" from her new album. Francis Scott Key couldn’t be prouder, were he not some gross ramshackle of bones. Darling diva (and should be bigger, capital D, Diva) Kelis is releasing a new album this week in the States, on the heels of America’s Independence Day anniversary (been out in England a month, the LP). Bradford Nordeen looks back on a somewhat checkered career, like a bare knuckled butterfly pretending to be a moth to the fame flame…(ok blame us for that lame analogy). Nevermind…All hail Kelis! Torch the neighbors’ houses with bottle rockets!
Comfort the Afflicted Food and Afflict the Comfort Food: an Interview with Aimee Bender
Amy Meyerson07.03.10
In Aimee Bender’s most recent novel, The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake, Rose Edelstein discovers at her ninth birthday party that has the ability to understand people’s feelings through the foods they make. In this conversation with Amy Meyerson, Bender discusses the culinary traditions of close-knit families, 19th century French theories of gustation, genre-slipping and why it can be useful to make your characters friendless.
Wolf Parade: Expo 86
Mark Gluth06.29.10
5 years ago Wolf Parade released Apologies to the Queen Mary to wide acclaim and instant classic status. It was an album that was as good as the hype and, more importantly, resonates as well to this day. They’ve since released a second album, and co-front men Dan Boeckner and Spencer Krug have also had careers with their own side projects. Today their third album, Expo 86, emerges to a vastly changed musical landscape. Is a world full of ever changing micro genres and scenes within scenes ready to care again about something as old fashioned as Indie Rock?
Film: Trash Humpers
Mark Gluth06.24.10
A sexual, incantatory, violent nightmare. Four devils wander through a largely deserted rural landscape and its interiors destroying objects, tap…
