4-1-1
reminded of several influences / inspirations / tangents recently
and – how recording them has been an important step in all this
may be a bit scattershot – haven’t done one of these in a while…
common assets
common assets
swapped train tracks with Sam a while back:
i brought “Hunnybee”
‘Hunnybee’ – Unkown Mortal Orchestra[2018/Jagjaguwar]Directed & Animated by Greg SharpProduced by Truba Animation
‘Star Guitar’ – The Chemical Brothers[2011/Virgin Records]Directed by Michel Gondry
‘Playground’ – Steve Lacy[2019/Kobalt Music]love the outfits – those jort-joggers! fab!
‘10 minutes of fascinating deep-sea animals | Into The Deep’ – MBARI [Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute][2022]can’t remember how i got here… out of this world!
‘Eugene Onegin’ – Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky[2021-2022 season/The Metropolitan Opera]set design by Tom Pyewith Ailyn Pérez as Tatianacaught the live performance broadcast on KDFC a couple weekends ago – amazing!
‘Jerrod Carmichael: Rothaniel’ – Jerrod Carmichael[2022/HBO]Directed by Bo Burnhamone for the books
c/o magick via Moderat
these tricksters, too
and this shadow, from a Craigslist curb alert
nice…
common assets, vol. 5
all aboard…
‘Station to Station’ - David Bowie (1976/RCA)
‘Newage Daydream’ - Amy Blaschke (2021/Amy Blaschke)
‘The Dreaming’ - Kate Bush (1982/Noble and Bright)
inspired spin-off listening which included The Knife, Dead Can Dance, and The Hives.
‘Blonde’ - Frank Ocean (2016/Boys Don’t Cry)
‘The Best of Car Talk’ - NPR
late-comer to ‘Car Talk’ – happy to’ve made it.
“This is Just Some Songs” - ‘This American Life’ (2021/WEBZ)
that’s all, for now.
toronadoes
got no business with tornadoes, but when lightning strikes… !
seems i like adding an “o” to “tor-o-nado” and an “e” to “light-e-ning” – something i’ve come to realize in all this.
sure, why not?
common assets, vol. 4
it’s that time again. this year marks the 10th trip ‘round since moving out here; though, i haven’t spent nearly as much time calling this place home. it’s been… a journey. still is, too. and with reflection on the menu tonight, thought i’d go over some of the specials.
here goes…
‘SOUR’ - Olivia Rodrigo (2021/Geffen Records)
“LAW OF AVERAGES” - Vince Staples (2021/UMG) directed by Kid Studio
dig this.
‘Call Me If You Get Lost’ - Tyler, The Creator (2021/Columbia Records)
SWEET / I THOUGHT YOU WANTED TO DANCE … sheeesh!
“Corso” - Tyler, The Creator (2021/Columbia Records) directed by Wolf Haley, aka Tyler Baudelaire, aka Bunny Hop, aka The Creator; cinematography/DP by Luis Perez
favorite video from the rollout.
experiencing a streak of luck with neighborhood “free stuff” offerings. some finds from yesterday, and this afternoon:
‘Five Hundred Self-Portraits’ - Julian Bell (2004/Phaidon Press)
‘Over and Over: A Catalog of Hand-Drawn Patterns’ - Michael Perry (2008/Princeton Architectural Press)
‘The Art Quilt’ - Robert Shaw (1997/Beaux Arts Editions)
trio of KOH-I-NOOR stencils from a free pile i passed on my walk home today.
“landscape template”
“isometric ellipse template”
“architectural symbol template”
Youtube started suggesting these S&S Horseshoeing videos and, long story short, i’m hooked. well timed too, following a farrier focused crossword clue from a week or so ago.
anyhow, i really like Sheldon’s videos and learning what farriers do.
some lick-em horseshoe stamps a pen friend included in a recent letter. i mean, c’mon… !
Valida’s 06/27 KCRW set (thanks for the intro, Sam!)
some of the stickier tracks i heard:
‘Program Tvog Kompjutera” - Denis & Denis (2019/Croatia Records)
“Will You Be?” - Baltra (2021/Local Action Records)
“Ani Kuni” - Polo & Pan (2021/Hamburger Records)
and remember…
it’s OK to feel good.
common assets, vol. 3
one Youtube video usually leads to another, and a revisit to the lexicography video led to this Vox video about the Cooper Black typeface by Oswald Cooper.
while working on the… title card, i’ll call it, for this entry i thought of these logos. have nostalgic sentimentality for both. the Payless logo identity has since gone in a different direction… and Love’s looks Cooper Black inspired – it’s not as round, but there are similarities (it’s in the “o”).
“Gimme Some More” - Busta Rhymes (1998/Elektra Records) directed by Hype Williams
(sample from Bernard Herrmann’s “Psycho” theme)
really dig Busta Rhymes’ music videos from this era. “Put Your Hands Where My Eyes Could See” is another favorite, also directed by Hype Williams.
“The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)” - Missy Elliott (1997/The Goldmind) directed by Hype Williams
(sample from Anne Peebles’ “I Can’t Stand the Rain”)
Missy Elliott has some of the best music videos, ever. period.
“beep, beep. who got the keys to the Jeep? vrrrrroooooom!” ;-)
“B.O.B.” - Outkast (2000/LaFace-Arista) directed by Dave Meyers
such. a. good. time !!! 808s, off the wall colors, candy painted Cadillacs – what more could you want?
“You’re Makin’ Me High” - Toni Braxton (1996/La Face) directed by Billie Woodruff
love this music video (*ahem* Bryce Wilson *ahem*). ‘Secrets’ and ‘Space Jam’ were the first two CDs in the collection. was probably too young for Toni, but… whatever!
“Fantasy” - Mariah Carey (1995/Columbia)
the inspiration drawn from Mariah Carey and this music video specifically runs deep.
crossed paths with a De Tomaso Pantera last autumn. didn’t recognize it and assumed it was an Italian sports car – and it is, sort of. i’ve since learned more about it, in large part from watching Jay Leno’s Garage.
watched a few more episodes since and some favorites include the 1966 Oldsmobile 442 (love, love, LOVE the “442” enameled nameplate !!!), 1931 Duesenberg Model J LaGrande Coupe (that interior, and rumble seat !!!), 1972 Citroën SM (super neat engineering !!!), and the 1957 Imperial (super sweet, retro detailing !!!). been liking the “pandemic editions” – they feel more intimate. Leno’s knowledge and familiarity with his fleet is impressive, and i appreciate the narrative style of his explanations. wish the jokes would catch up…
meant to include this in vol. 2 and forgot. another Youtube gem – meditative bonsai art by a creator in the UK. this is from the beginning of the video – thought it looked pretty nice to start, and was stunned by the result. carefully meticulous and fascinating process.
common assets, vol. 2
‘Capacity’ - Big Thief (2017/Saddle Creek)
still making my way through Jason Mantzoukas’ “What’s in My Bag” recommendations. Adrianne Lenker’s voice is beautiful. (haven’t gotten into her solo stuff yet, just came across it “Googling” her name. her website sure is pretty.) “Shark Smile” and “Objects”. “Mary” and “Black Diamonds”, too. i like those a lot.
‘Lianne La Havas’ - Lianne La Havas (2020/Nonesuch)
“Paper Thin”, “Sour Flower”, “Weird Fishes” (!!!)
Jeremy Jae Neal and Vinson Fraley Jr., photography by Carrie Schneider
‘Dearest Home’ - Kyle Abraham (2017/YBCA)
recently reminded of Kyle Abraham’s ‘Dearest Home’, which a good friend gave the tip off to and we went to see back in 2017. this was my introduction to Kyle Abraham, and – under the circumstances – felt very fortunate. still does.
“Side Effects of Insecure Men” - ‘Small Doses’ with Amanda Seales (2019/Starburns)
came to this after watching Alice Smith performances. was not expecting what this episode has to offer.
‘Punisher’ - Phoebe Bridgers (2020/Dead Oceans) photography by Olof Grind
watched the “Savior Complex” music video months ago, after binging ‘Normal People’ and unapologetically seeking Paul Mescal content… swung back around to the rest of the album, and feel good for it.
‘What’s Your Pleasure?’ - Jessie Ware (2020/PMR/Friends Keep Secrets/Interscope) creative direction by Mat Maitland for Big Active, photography by Carlijn Jacobs, design by Rory Dewar
i think i added this album after seeing it recommended in Pitchfork’s '50 Best Albums of 2020'. so dancey – love it.
‘Land of Nod’ - Nick and the Nod (2020/Chicken Shack Records and Tapes)
introduced to the track “Piece of Pie” a few weeks ago by Pop Goes the Weasel on KALX. “My Career” and “New Content” are cool tracks. they’re all cool tracks.
‘Album’ - Girls (2009/True Panther) cover art by Christopher Owens, photography by Sandy Kim
this may have been another Pop Goes the Weasel introduction – i think it was from a KALX set. maybe? “Hellhole Ratrace” is a doozy.
common assets
needed to scan some construction paper to use as a digital background and thought about all the times i’ve scanned materials for textures and saved the files into specific project folders — a one way ticket to a digital black hole.
hadn’t considered making a digital catch all until the other day. now i have a “common assets” folder for all the ticky-tacky pieces that get used in all sorts of different ways. so far i’ve only scanned construction paper… but it’s gonna grow!
typing that name, common assets, i couldn’t help but think of it in the context of marriage. common assets: the car, the apartment, the record collection, the cat… as icky as it makes me feel to consider describing things in order to litigate over them; i do like the sound of it: common assets. i like the way the two words look side-by side — the humps of the m’s and n in the first leading into the squiggles of s’s in the second. i think it would make a good name for a restaurant or bar. just saw that there’s a company called uncommon goods… bwah
then, i thought to myself: “where does your digital miscellanea live?” a place for videos and articles and music that i encounter and find helpful or resonate in some way, or that provide motivation or perspective. the last several days have yielded inclusions into the digital library of common assets:
on Saturday i joined a virtual discussion about the work of quilter Rosie Lee Tompkins presented by the Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive (BAMPFA). Dr. Carolyn Mazloomi and Ms. Ora Clay spoke about quilting and the work of Ms. Rosie Lee Tompkins. i hadn’t familiarized myself with either speaker before attending, which has its benefits and drawbacks. i didn’t want to form any preconceived notions of what they would speak about or who they were from static representations. and for that, i’m ok with my decision to “under-prepare”. Dr. Carolyn Mazloomi was a force. there were a few things that she said during the discussion that pierced deeply and i am grateful to have been witness to her presentation. one point she emphasized was the importance of the creator’s voice in their work. Rosie Lee Tompkins left no interpretation or writings about her own work which is a loss for the diasporic quilting community. hearing Dr. Mazloomi speak to the notion of being the voice for your own work motivated me to continue doing what i’m doing.
on Sunday i watched a video suggested by the Youtubes featuring cinematographer Brad Rushing speaking about doing the work, success, and the power of listening. i wasn’t familiar with Mr. Rushing before, but looked him up after starting the video and learned that he was the cinematographer for Britney Spears’ ‘Toxic’ music video. wait, what?! another instance of uncanny timing having just watched ‘Framing Britney Spears’. sure, there’s no doubt something algorithmically driving this content to me — that’s life now. but what Mr. Rushing has to say about creativity still rings true.
‘MAGDALENE’ - FKA twigs (2019) creative direction Matthew Josephs, design by Matthew Stone
i also listened to FKA twigs’ ‘MAGDALENE’ for the first time. not unlike LA Priest’s ‘GENE’, i’d been saving this album for the “perfect time” to listen. years have gone by and i was too ashamed and nervous to listen to it. twigs’ music hits a sensitive spot, and i didn’t think i was ready to go there. but i did, and i love it. holy sh-t, like really love it. which isn’t a surprise, i enjoy her work very much. i don’t know why i do this to myself…
yesterday morning i browsed for a podcast to listen to while taking a shower, and saw the latest episode of This American Life entitled ‘Secrets’. it’s a doozy, and another uncanny arrival.
i thought, “what do we do with our common assets that are not commonly known?” everyone has secrets. what do you do when you have shared secrets? or if you are the secret?
the episode discusses embarrassment, shame, and the feeling that you should be able to handle your secrets on your own. yeah, this one was important to listen to right now. one of the statements that went straight to the marrow was this one:
“telling my story has opened up a lot for me, especially with the people i’m closest to. but telling is a beginning, not an end. it’s not a solution… it doesn’t release you from shame. to release yourself from shame, you need to understand where the shame comes from. telling alone doesn’t get you there, but it puts you in conversation with people who can help.” - Susan Burton
and this:
“i never lied, i neglected to tell the truth. that’s how secrets are made.” - Pavan Bivigou
Susan is speaking to the secrecy around eating disorders, and Pavan about keeping her sickle-cell anemia a secret. even though these are two things that i don’t have experience with, i do know what it’s like to keep a secret… and these stories were incredibly helpful to add perspective to that understanding.
last night i watched this discussion between Daniel Kaluuya and Timothée Chalamet. it’s old, i know; but i like Daniel Kaluuya’s work, and Timothée Chalamet’s even though i feel a growing gulf of disconnection from his generation. i’ve watched a few others in this series, and they can feel stuffy and forced. but this one felt so fun and energetic. it felt like both of these artists were genuinely interested and excited to be in conversation and learn from one another’s experiences.
i really appreciated what Daniel had to say about reading scripts and why he reads them: in part to better understand why he likes something so that he’s better informed as to why he says “yes” or “no” to projects. using it as a tool to know himself better.
gem dropping… so good…
that’s it for now. i am hoping that this space can be a useful library for videos and music and books and all the stuff that flies through while i’m working. i have some patches to sew a merrow border onto, so…
ok, bye bye!