New Music Review: Widowspeak “Widowspeak”

With a Cat Power alto and Mazzy Star whisper, Widowspeak‘s self-titled debut LP embodies the essence of the 90′s. But with band members born just at the cusp of the decade,  singer/songwriter Molly Hamilton, drummer Michael Stasiak and guitarist Robert Earl Thomas offer not a retelling of the 90′s but a new generation’s interpretation of the past, as seen through vintage MTV and self-indulgent coming-of-age movies. This is no longer a Reality Bites existence where we can slurp down Big Gulps and dream of Quarter Pounders without recourse, these kids of the internet age know too much and use their reference points wisely enough to create a sound that is both nostalgic and very much today.

A Brooklyn-based outfit, Hamilton and Stasiak hail from the Pacific Northwest, bringing with them the dark and gritty feel of the birthplace of grunge. Words like harsh and fade and remember pull you into Hamilton’s dreamy trance while you imagine dancing alone in the sparseness of a Lynchian nightmare. “I did what he said / went under water instead / everything looks the same / everything looks the same” (“Limbs”).

Despite its grungy base, Widowspeak’s debut becomes its own as it incorporates fits of 60′s pop (album opener “Puritan”), Velvet Underground-esque psychedelia (“Nightcrawlers”), and the dark twang of an old Western soundtrack (standout track “Gun Shy”). These turns keep Widowspeak from getting lost in the monotony of stereotype.

Hauntingly nostalgic, Widowspeak offers the perfect soundtrack as the weather turns. Perhaps the ghostly promise of a bright future for these newcomers.

Widowspeak s/t debut is out August 9, 2011 via Captured Tracks

“Gun Shy” by Widowspeak by forcefieldpr

“Harsh Realm” by Widowspeak by forcefieldpr

Widowspeak – “Nightcrawlers” by forcefieldpr

09/06 Philadelphia, PA Johnny Brenda’s #
09/07 Baltimore, MD Ottobar #
09/11 New Orleans, LA TBD #
09/12 Jackson, MS Sneaky Beans #
09/13 Memphis, TN Hi-Tone #
09/14 St Louis, MO Billiken Club #
09/15 Chicago, IL Empty Bottle #
09/16 Toronto, ON Parts and Labor #
09/17 Syracuse, NY The 219 Takeover! #
09/19 Boston, MA Great Scott #
09/20 New York, NY Knitting Factory #

* = w/ Hoop Dreams
# = w/ Vivian Girls

Up for Discussion: Artists and Assistants

Today’s Up for Discussion focuses on the topic of artists and assistants. First check out the article that sparked our discussion, followed by five varying opinions on the topic. Feel free to add your own opinion to the discussion by commenting on this post.

According to Stan Sesser’s Wall Street Journal article “The Art Assembly Line” (published June 3, 2011):

With the market revving up and pressure to produce higher than ever, more artists are turning to assistants for help. Who really painted that masterpiece?

Alexander Gorlizki is an up-and-coming artist, known for paintings that superimpose fanciful images over traditional Indian designs. His work has been displayed at the Victoria & Albert Museum in London, the Denver Art Museum and Toronto’s Royal Ontario Museum, among others, and sells for up to $10,000.

Mr. Gorlizki lives in New York City. The paintings are done by seven artists who work for him in Jaipur, India. “I prefer not to be involved in actually painting,” says Mr. Gorlizki, who adds that it would take him 20 years to develop the skills of his chief Indian painter, Riyaz Uddin. “It liberates me not being encumbered by the technical proficiency,” he says.

It’s a phenomenon that’s rarely discussed in the art world: The new work on a gallery wall wasn’t necessarily painted by the artist who signed it. Some well-known artists, such as Damien Hirst and Jeff Koons, openly employ small armies of assistants to do their paintings and sculptures. Others hire help more quietly.

Art-market insiders say soaring prices and demand for contemporary art is spurring the use of apprentices by more artists. The art world is divided on the practice: While some collectors and dealers put a premium on paintings and sculptures executed by an artist’s own hand, others say that assistants are a necessity in the contemporary market…

Read the full article here

Continue reading to hear what our experts have to say…

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DVD Digest: “Breath Made Visible”

Breath Made Visible, 2009

Breath Made Visible is the first feature length film about the life and career of Anna Halprin, the American dance pioneer who has helped redefine our notion of modern art with her belief in dance’s power to teach, heal, and transform at all ages of life. This cinematic portrait blends recent interviews with counterparts such as the late Merce Cunningham, archival footage, including her establishment of the first multiracial dance company in the U.S., and excerpts of current performances such as “Parades and Changes” at the Georges Pompidou Center in Paris, to weave a stunning, inspiring account of one of the most important cultural icons in modern dance.

Tricia’s Take: It is beautiful and inspiring to watch Anna create dance from everyday life and experience. This is a great movie for dancers and non-dancers alike – and some motivation to get up off the couch when it’s through and get moving. In such a competitive culture it’s easy to get lost in “perfection”. Anna helps remind us what dance – and art in general – are really here for.

Breath Made Visible is available via Netflix Watch Instantly

New Music Review: Smith Westerns “Dye It Blonde”

Dye It Blonde, the latest from Chi-town’s Smith Westerns has garnered copious buzz, especially from Brit Pop enthusiasts. Marc Bolan, David Bowie, T.Rex, The Beatles, Teenage Fanclub, Suede and Oasis provide various flashes of influence from time to time on the record. But while shades of Revolver and Hunky Dory pop in on certain strum patterns or fuzzed up guitar riffs, these seemingly precocious musicians project an endearing allure all their own. Synths, guitars belting out hooks sharp enough for surgical practices, drums that are simultaneously strong and subtle, and Cullen Omari’s lyrical maturity swirl together culminate Smith Western’s addictive ethos.

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“Imagine, Pt. 3” is bright and pensive at the all at once. The transitions from verse to chorus to an impromptu bridge occur in an unforced, natural manner. The sentiment of combining energy and intimacy within their own musical parameters and limitations creates a collection of songs with a specific niche, as opposed to a caricature of influences. “All Die Young”, the albums first head-turner, follows in the same vein as “Imagine, Pt. 3”. “End of the Night” is a youthful, tasty number about trying to hook up on Saturday nights – and who doesn’t like hooking up on a Saturday night?

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The cliché of “blondes have more fun” adds some intrigue when thinking about how the album’s title relates to its musical ideas. Dye It Blonde is fun, but it’s not without thoughtful production, structure, or attention to atmospheric detail. One thing that must be pointed out: Brit Pop isn’t the only genre here. Shades of Lynard Skynard’s “Tuesday’s Gone” and The Allman Brothers Band’s “Blue Sky” can be heard in the guitars, especially on “Smile”. That observation is meant to be endearing as opposed to snarky, and made to point out that these youngins might not be as aware of their influences as think. The final combo of “Dance Away” and “Dye the World” prove a fitting culmination to Dye It Blond.

New Music Review: I Was A King “Old Friends”

I Was A King hail from Norway. Frode Strømstad leads this pack of idiosyncratic noise makers as they offer their third effort Old Friends via Sounds Familyre Records.  This penchant collection of felicitous songs touches on memories with various life-long friends, representing those ruminations by way of alluring song structure and humble storytelling.

Opening track “The Wylde Boys” starts off with a sense of sharp alarm. Horns and mad guitar bending blend with some vigorous drum pounding. This leads into a compact blend of Norwiegen psycheldia, post rock, and power pop. Frode Strømstad’s vocal entrance comes in with far less gusto than the horns and guitars, but seems to have a more precise direction. What Strømstad’s vocals lack in raw power he makes up for with keen, humble whimsicality. Often, the vocals almost feel not the forefront of Old Friends‘ thematic efforts, but rather something that just needs to be there. There is narrative in Strømstad’s lyrics, but the central plot stems from the eerie / quirky instrumentation. Take for example “Learning to Fly”, the ‘dialogue’ going on between the instruments is far more engaging that the lyrical story.

That’s not to say that Strømstad isn’t interesting, or that he’s not talented. It’s more a testament to the showcase of the musicians. Old Friends is often a compact, dense array of merry ruminations and bittersweet nostalgia. Though the album as a whole seems to focus on the bright side, some of its best spots occur in its more haunted moments. The combination of the fifteen-second-long “Kontrari” followed by “Here to Stay” offers a glimpse into the more weathered side of I Was A King’s usually blissful brain. The payoff is getting lost in the details: when the Theremin, wood winds, strings, reverb heavy guitars, and killer methodical jazz drums melt together in the middle like ten varieties of dark chocolate, the result is rich, quirky and hypnotic all at once. (Speaking of quirky, “Daybreak” is too cute too ignore.)

Perhaps it’s unfair to simply say Strømstad’s not half the lyricist as he is musician; but rather, it would be quite a feat if his storytelling abilities matched the musical. Are Strømstad’s vocals clear and digestible? Yes. But more often than not they lack the philosophical moxie to knock one’s socks off. Still, they aren’t pretentious and self absorbed – not so much focused on himself but rather on the experiences of his life’s relationships. And that kind of compassion in this day is not only rare, but is also worth celebrating. This gracious humility is highlighted on stand out tracks “Unreal” and “Forgive and Forget”, the album’s best examples of why I Was A King deserves a good listen.

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Old Friends is out January 25, 2011 via Sounds Familyre Records