What The Water Gave Me

As a sit here tonight with hopes of much more, I find this work by Frida Kahlo called “What The Water Gave Me”, as a point of inspiration.  We have all been in the tub, staring at our feet, wondering what life looks like from a different set of eyes, gazing upon a different set of feet… It’s really incredible to see that so many of us humans have these similar, albeit mundane views in life.  It’s these small things that tie us together in the great collective unconscious, and I find it rather fascinating.

What’s more important that the perspective of this piece and it’s actual content.  You can see the dualism of the old and the new, the passion and the hurt, the serene and the obscene.  Both worlds clash and together to produce a catastrophic serenity, quite a hyperbolic contradiction.

I like the feminine standpoint of this painting, but it’s probably more of a personal painting for the artist rather than gender related social commentary. It’s no surprise that Frida Kahlo put this imagery atop the canvas of water.  Being a Cancer, like me, water always seems to strike up the most inspirational images in one’s mind, even if they aren’t the most comforting.  I often find that trips to the beach, or the lake connect me with my inner voice and most of the time, for me, they are images of beauty. I understand that Frida was an a very ill person, and what she went through in life put her through agony. Sometimes, being a Cancer is a blessing and a curse. With that in mind I can see added viewpoint. Cancer is the most maternal sign in the zodiac, and with that comes an enormous capacity for pathos, pain, empathy, and longing. On the other hand, you are a vessel of love, nurture, compassion, tenderness, and have an awesome sense of humor. I bet that Ms. Kahlo took herself seriously, but one has to think, after painting  herself with that unibrow so many times, she had to know when to chuckle. .

All kidding aside, and with great respect to the artist, this is definitely an incredible work of art.

So tonight, as I hope for more, I dream in my own metaphorical bathtub, I picture the future to be divine ( maybe a bit scary at times, but such is life), and most of all victorious (sans burning skyscrapers sinking in a lava filled volcano). Although Frida reflected upon the misgivings in her life and saw upon her future in demise, I am dreaming in the bath tub of other things. It’s time to leave the cruel tidings of 2010 behind, and shakes hands with 2011. I suppose this first month was a hiccup start for me, but I know that tomorrow will be a much better future…

10 Degrees and its Getting Colder

Currently, it’s 10 degrees in NYC. That is WAY below freezing.

I truly think that January is the worst. I really hate the snow, the cold, the rain, wind, sleet… whatever it may be. I could definitely do without this weather. How many more weeks until Spring?
Most people don’t like March. I actually greet it with open arms.  I don’t see what’s so bad about it?  It’s the end of winter and to me that is a huge relief. I like it way more than February which is bookended by nasty blustery cold.  March may be “in like a lion, out like a lamb”,  but thats whats great about it!  It might be awful in the beginning but then after a few patient weeks we get the gift of spring.  It might might not be instant warmth, but we do get a little heat up. I have a few recent memories of  seeing people walking around Manhattan  on St. Patricks day with nothing but a green tee shirt on. Yes, they may have been a bit drunk, but even drunk people wear at least a jacket in January.

I will take March over January or February ANY day.  Each of those months are just  straight up ice cold  brutality for 28-31 days. Blech.  Bet you would never guess that I am not much of a skier? I rather save my money for beach vacations…

In other news, and onto other complaints, this Starbucks is filled with loud talkers. I know that this is a public place, but-  really ladies? I don’t need to hear the play by play of the Jersey Shore last night. Really, if I did I would have watched it.

Ha!

Obviously, I have the winter blue meanies.  All this damp and stagnant weather is starting to make me bitter and miserable. They say it’s the winters that make New Yorkers so “charming”.  Perhaps, they are right?  If we had sun all year long maybe we would be a different place? I wonder if we would lean towards the more saccharine, and sweet?  Maybe we should be thankful for winters in NY.  I mean if we didn’t have winters would could end up being like L.A.  A little lighter, more adjusted?  Wait a minute,  I take that back…

In a recent survey L.A. ranked as the #1 Rudest City in America.  Ha, how’s about that?I guess we don’t need more sunshine….

Cathedrals of Broadway, Stettheimer

Hello blog world! I am back. 2010 was let’s say BUSY. More busy then I could ever imagine. It’s 2011 and I feel like I can breathe again. I remember a conversation that I head early on in 2010 with one of my former co-workers. We were discussing how I went to Chinatown (NYC) for the Chinese New Year Celebration. Being of Chinese descent he at one point he mentions, “you know it is the year of tiger”.  Since I love astrology and have studied it in depth, I have also read a bit about the Chinese animal signs.  I wanted to hear from the horse’s mouth (i.e. someone whose culture it actually Chinese), I asked him. “So what is the year of the tiger all about?”

“Lots of activity. Lots of dramatic changes. You are going to be very busy and active this year.”

Um, that was an understatement. Hence the year long hiatus of Fever To Tell.

Well, I am back and I would like to share some art with you.

On December 30th, 2010, I went to The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City.  I have been there countless times as  child.  While it is not the most cutting edge museum in New York City it has a fantastic variety of every kind of art imaginable. It is a great starting point for those who want to get more into art, or for those who want an up close look at historical artifacts.

On this fine day I decided to  explore the modern art wing- a wing I usually ignore because I beeline for the Medevial and Egyptian sections. Why do I do this? I figure since I am not in a modern art museum I should take advantage of soaking in all the artifacts, & things people used and cherished  hundreds to thousands of years before it was even possible that I would ever exist. To think that one’s tomb might be in a museum thousands of  years from now  really trips me out.  Imagine that in 3011 someone digs up your grave and puts in a glass case amongst the remains of Henry the VII, Picasso, Thomas Edison, Khubalai Khan, and Cleopatra. Is it disrespectful, or is it an honor? That, I do not have an answer for, but I do know that it is pretty darn amazing.

No more tangents. Back to my original purpose.

I stumbled upon an artist whose work I know I have seen in popular culture before. Her name is Florine Stettheimer. She was a turn of the 20th century artist from upstate NY who drew these art deco colorful pieces that were blatant social commentaries, as well as being something to marvel upon.

This piece is called the Cathedrals of Broadway.  I really liked it. Not because it’s New York City-centric, but because the color and spacing is really kind of bizarre.  You would think that the people in the frame should be a little bigger. After all, these “cathedrals” were constructed of the type of worship that is based upon humans  themselves.  What is Broadway if it is not a celebration of humans? It is our ability to act, emote, to put on a show and create a performance out of our stories. What entertainment really is is people. People costuming and highlighting their background and appearance with flowery dialogue, cockatoo frocks and sing songs about our feelings. But no, Stettheimer isn’t taking this perspective at all. Instead, she is creating this vast open space that is filled with color and movement, while  her people are like pin drops, and her dazzling stars, colors, and signs take up most of the space. Clearly, the mayor, and the Roxy of this time period were quite important, nut they are more like  monumental pieces rather than flesh, blood, and cabaret. However distant the pice may be from the actual people, there is a love here for what the admirer is portraying. I suppose this Florine was a fascinating person, and I am very much into this time period ( I believe it’s 1927).   It seems as though her perspective is from very far away, but yearning to be inside. You can see that the scene as like a bouquet of fireworks and fanfare, rather than a distinct image. I love the abstract take, and I feel a intentional v shape in this painting. It’s times like this that I wish I was in school for art history.

While I will probably do some more research on Florine Stettheimer, I welcome any of you to fill me in if you know anything about her.  The internet is a beautiful thing, and from I have found  that she was also a poet. Here’s a poem that she wrote that seems describes a sketch of her elusive and (maybe?) magnetic personality. This just might explain a lot…

Occasionally
A human being
Saw my light
Rushed in
Got singed
Got scared
Rushed out
Called fire
Or it happened
That he tried
To subdue it
Or it happened
That he tried to extinguish it
Never did a friend
Enjoy it
The way it was.
So I learned to
Turn it low
Turn it out
When I meet a
stranger—
Out of courtesy
I turn on a soft
Pink light
Which is found
modest
Even charming.
it is protection
Against wear
and tears…
And when
I am rid of
The Always-to-be-
Stranger
I turn on my light
And become
myself.

The Truth.

“It is the duty of the human understanding to understand that there are things which it cannot understand, and what those things are.”

“Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards.”

-Soren Kierkegaard

What’s Really In the Teaches Of Peaches?

Still loose, but a bit tighter, and a less rockier….

The new Peaches album (I finally absorbed it) is not what you think it’s going to be. Very different direction.  It’s more emotionally honest, feminine, and less punk, still electroclash and way more club ready.

Since most of my music links lead to Rhapsody (and not everyone has a subscription),  I am going to link you to lala.com, which I think is a pretty good site if you want to check out new music.

Check out her new single “I Feel Cream” for a taste of what’s she cooking upon this album

Click ——>I Feel Cream – Peaches

So what do you think?  Is this where she should be headed? I am surprised, but not completely shocked. Everyone gets older some time.  Just check out some of the other tracks on album Feel Cream and you will see what I mean.  Songs like “Serpentine” and “Mommy Complex” (both I really dig), and “Billionaire” (which I don’t really dig, but interesting effort on her part. I can definitely see dance club hipster, and unknowing clubsters dancing to this track), are still slightly pervy and sexually charged, but tracks like “Talk To Me” and “Lose You” had mature enough subject matter to impress me, and no,  I don’t mean mature as in the usual adult film star themed lyrics.  This change in sound is much needed change for her, but  I miss the punk rock  side that we saw in songs like “Kick it”, and “Rock Show”  off her former albums. Come on Peaches, don’t forget your rough side? (that was my favorite. hile this is a pretty good dance record, it’s non-existent as a rock record.)

I guess it’s alright though because what she does with production and beats on this album is ferocious. It makes her more of a musician than she has been on any other album. It’s a far car from the days of minimalist drums beats with whorish rap/singing. While I am a little disappointed there are no rock tracks on the record,  they wouldn’t have any place on here any way. This is a solid and complete club piece, and should be in seen in a different light from her other work.  I know that if I am in the mood for some super sexy (not sleazy),  dance tunes I can definitely turn to this album.  As a journey in electro this is a more sophisticated package done in a  Goldfrapp- style manner.

7.2 out of 10 .

Playlist In A Time Capsule: August

So I decided to not do mini playlists any more.  Instead I want to do one themed playlist per month. This month’s theme is “College”, (and yes I know I am a day early) . Take a peak inside what I was listening to from ’99-’03.  Each and every song on this list has some kind of symbolism or memory attached to it.  I had a lot of fun making this list, and remembered so many things that I forgot.  Enjoy!

NtC’s College Playlist ’99-’03 <—–click

Misirlou (Single Version) Dick Dale Wasted Days The Slackers Die, Die My Darling Misfits New Thrash Sublime Hope Descendents Flower Liz Phair A Box Full Of Sharp Objects The Used Tip Your Bartender Glassjaw Funland At The Beach Dead Kennedys To All My Friends Lagwagon I Wanna Be Your Boyfriend (Remastered Version ) The Ramones Janie Jones The Clash Last Nite The Strokes Teenage Dirtbag Wheatus 9th At Pine Less Than Jake The Warmth Incubus Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough Michael Jackson Jungle Fever Chakachas Let’s Groove Earth, Wind & Fire I Want Your Girlfriend To Be My Girlfriend Too Reel Big Fish I’m Like A Bird Nelly Furtado Roads Portishead You’re So Rad Bouncing Souls B.O.B. Outkast Parking Lot Pimpin’ Jay-Z Shimmy Shimmy Ya Ol’ Dirty Bastard Is That Your Chick (The Lost Verses) Memphis Bleek Vivrant Thing Q-Tip So What’cha Want Beastie Boys Spill The Wine – (with Eric Burdon & War) War This Is Love P.J. Harvey Baby Got Going Liz Phair Idioteque Radiohead I Wanna Be Your Dog The Stooges 2:1 Elastica Fast As You Can Fiona Apple Breathe (Breathe In The Air Pink Floyd Scarlet Begonias The Grateful Dead Down On Me Janis Joplin Goodbye Forever Alkaline Trio Possibly Maybe (Lucy Mix) Bjork Unison (LP Version) Bjork You Vandal Saves the Day Circles Soul Coughing Signals Over The Air Thursday Short Skirt/Long Jacket Cake Table For Glasses Jimmy Eat World Heroin The Velvet Underground Straight To Hell The Clash You’re So Last Summer Taking Back Sunday Honky Tonk Women The Rolling Stones Got To Give It Up, Part 1 (Single Version) Marvin Gaye Where Is My Mind? Pixies Jungle Boogie Kool & the Gang Black Out Pavement Let’s Spend The Night Together The Rolling Stones The Fairest Of The Seasons Nico Ring Of Fire Johnny Cash Let’s Stay Together Al Green Tired Of Sex Weezer Living For The City Stevie Wonder Radio, Radio Elvis Costello Fell In Love With A Girl White Stripes The Something Special Bouncing Souls Take Five Dave Brubeck Battle of Who Could Care Less Ben Folds Hallelujah Jeff Buckley Christmastime Is Here (Instrumental) Vince Guaraldi

My Moon, My Mansion…

This is an interesting interview.  I like knowing that much of the work on her album was done in one take, but most of all I really liked seeing the inside of that darn infamous mansion that she recorded in.  It looks like a real cool place to record music, especially of this genre. The rest of the interview isn’t anything I didn’t already know, but it’s a quick watch.  Check it out…

and just because I love this video, mainly because I want to run through a field of fireworks at night:

It’s A Curse

OK,  OK, OK… So, this is a little out there, but bear with me on this one…

Every time I listen to this song I think I should have really been a music video director.  Throughout the years (probably starting around age 8 or 9),  I can’t help but just visually go somewhere in my mind when I hear certain music. I have been creating music videos in my head for quite some time now, and I just had to blog the idea for this one.  Perhaps it has something to do wiht the fact that I most certainly have synesthesia,  (just recently realized this), but it’s not exactly the same thing.  If anything it just points to the fact that I am yeah, crazy.  Just kidding, better word, creative.

OK picture the scene.  It’s  a stormy night, and the camera is from the perspective of our main character: lanky hipster A.   In sepia toned black and white film we see him come across a somewhat haunted looking house. He walks inside to find a party going on.  Everyone at the party is wearing vintage Peanuts Halloween masks on their faces, and wearing the same outfits. The men are wearing white collared shirts with black slacks and thin black ties, while the women are wearing 60′s A-line knee length dresses.  As the lead moves from room to room unmasked he notices that everyone is just standing around with party punch in their hands. No one is really moving or drinking.  As he walks into each room, he finds that the motion of his steps starts to create a sort of electricity. Perhaps it’s like a thin white light flowing through the ground, and sometimes it’s like a spark coming through his eyes. (would relate to some kind of motif that he is not pretending to be anyone but himself. The whole masked/unmasked theme.)

At first the electricity from the lead creates a little buzz. The guys start to tap their feet, then the women start to bend their knees. As he grabs a cup from one of the party goers, he takes a sip and then hands it back to them. The party goer takes a sip from the cup and he begins to dance.  Maybe something a little old school and silly like the Watusi.  Once the party goer starts dancing the crowd stops doing their lame half dance movements to stare at him. (Enter close up shots of masked part goers here).  They then violenty break out into dance.  As the song builds they all start to go a little more nuts, and by the end of the video everyone is in full swing. People start jumping on the couch, throwing cups, pillows, picture frames, random other party elements like streamers, silly string, food bowls, it get kinda kooky.  As the party gets more animated, the sepia toned film starts to warm  into a brighter red until the color looks like it is about to burst, and the film actually seems to tremble. For a split second it seems like the camera is broke, and you see VHS type fuzz. We then quickly return back to the party scene, and  before you can even blink the whole screen is in full color.

Whew.  I don’t know. It felt good to just put that out there.  Hey, it’s just a thought, and it’s been awhile since the film/ TV production days… You feel me? Maybe it’s time to start going on a more creative path with my career.

In addition to that I got some music videos running around in my head to songs like “Hotel Yorba”, “Lust For Life”, “Watching The Detectives”…

Yup. My Sentiments Exactly.

Perhaps part of the reason why I hate flying  (you’re in a seat in the sky…creepy!), but whatever dude, it’s the wonderment of modern man.  Don’t be so vapid and ungrateful!  I agree, everyone has ADD with little to no appreciation for what kind of power we have at our fingertips.  Think about it, we could still be  chasing  buffalo, and wearing leaves on our privates.  So thank you Alexander Graham Bell,  Isaac Singer,  Richard Trevithick,  Thomas Edison,  and Wright Brothers, and so on…

Unbearable

“For Franz music was the air that comes closest to Dionysian beauty in the sense of intoxication. No one can really drunk on a novel or a painting, but who can help getting drunk on Beethoven’s Ninth, Bartok’s Sonata for Two Pianos and Percussion, or the Beatles’ White Album? Franz made no distinction between ‘classical’ music and ‘pop’. He found the distinction old-fashioned and hyprocritical. He loved rock as much as Mozart”
- The Unbearable Lightness of Being