Weekly Artist Overview: My Bloody Valentine by uao, June 14
Uao has a knack for laying down the history of a band or musician, within a perfect context of the times and always adds the current take on the band - if there is one.
This also was a band I let float past me and uao fills me in on what I missed and reminds that it's never too late to enjoy music. Most of it stays available.
Their closest cousins were Jesus and Mary Chain, who sounded primitive and abrasive in comparison. All of this they fit into what ordinarily were easy-to-digest 3-minute songs, even if the songs themselves lacked any remote pretense at standard pop structure. What set them apart from other noise maestros is that they demonstrated that noise was something that went somewhere, not the end in itself.
Thank U, Alanis by No Milk, June 16
My head's still reeling after reading this one. Not your typical review of an album, in this case the acoustic 10th anniversary release of Jagged Little Pill When I think of Alanis I don't think sex. Well except for that radio-bleeped line of "You Oughta Know" which the writer here strains to convince us is not the typical sweet and laid-back Alanis. This review may take you places you don't want to go early in the morning over breakfast. Puss is involved. Beware or be ripped awake.
QUOTABLE: Not quite a pick but best intro to a music post from Berkeley Joe: OK, this thing starts off like some kind of salsa dancing 80s movie ghostbuster soundtrack Miami Sound Machine Anthony Michael Hall meets Welcome Back Kotter, and then transitions fairly quickly into something resembling modernity, things stabilize, and, hmmm, is that Rockwell? I’m confused.
It draws you in before you realize it's too late. The post is Random Musings on Luke Fair
Article comments
1 - Temple Stark
If you want the html for this to post the whole thing over at your own sites, let me know. (Or at least the linked articles, not word for word).
Trackbacks are fun too.
2 - Aaman
Nice picks - linked to it - we need a master post of Editors' Picks in the sidebar.
3 - Temple Stark
Cool. And there is a master ... ooooh, do you mean of ALL the picks. Well each week at the top I try and link to the week before. So readers can skip back as they go ...
4 - Josia
A Culture of Idols is truly brilliant and well written - thanks for pointing it out - this desire for attaching ourselves to something larger is the whole point of our being here - because what we are really aspiring to is achieving the sensation of the upper world - which is what our soul is craving:
"Thus there is not an item of reality, or an occurrence of reality that you will not find its likeness in the world above it, as identical as two drops in a pond, and they are called “Root and Branch”. There is no difference between them, merely a different degree, perceived in the substance of each world’s reality. The substance of the items of the first, uppermost world is purer than the substance of the lower ones. And the substance of the items of reality of the second world is coarser than that of the first, but purer than all that is of lower degree. It continues similarly down to this world before us, whose substance of the items of reality is coarser and darker than all the worlds preceding it. However, the shapes and the items of reality and all their occurrences come unchanged and equal in every world, both in quantity and quality."
taken from:
http://www.kabbalah.info/engkab/matan_torah/essence_of_kabbalah.htm
5 - Eric Olsen
beauteous stuff - this was a great idea nad I love the way it's being implemented. Thanks!
6 - Bill Wallo
I am deeply honored and I want to thank the Academy . . .
Okay, anyway, thanks Dr. Pat. I appreciate being the "pick o' the week." :)
7 - uao
Thank you kindly, Temple; I'll also link up when I update my blog tonight.
I'm very happy people enjoy the artist overview series. If someone actually investigates some artist or genre on my recommendation, or even if they just revist old memories, I'm very gladdened.
Blogcritics really is what got me started writing these things; I couldn't have done it without the excellent input, info, corrections, and encouragement I've received from the regulars and visitors here.
So, thanks again. I'll keep trying to make 'em better.
8 - Aaron, Duke De Mondo
thanks, Editors!!! a fella feels all chuffed an such!
9 - DrPat
You deserve it, Bill...
10 - berkeley joe
gracias for the nod.
after consulting with my attorney I've decided to take "It draws you in before you realize it's too late" as a tentative compliment...
har har. alooooha.
11 - Temple Stark
Your attorney needs to slap you around :-)
It was funny. The rest was a great read to, if for no other reason than I got to figure out who Luke Fair was and why he, ah, muses you.
12 - Jeremy
Thanks for the vote of appreciation Lisa! For somebody this new to BC it's a real honor!
13 - gypsyman
Wow, You like me! to quote old whats her name...yeah Sally Field that's it. Thanks, even if this thanks is belated it's heartfelt. Things like this really boost the confidence in my abilities.
Temple, I loved your little graphic, I was having a hard time posting it to blogspot and so had to convert it to a jpg from a btm O.K. While I was at it my wife and I modified it slightly. She's the graphics queen and I had her add the title of the piece so I could make a perma-link back to the article. It's now stuck fast in my blogs template. hope you like the.
14 - gypsman
Good lord am I iliterate or what, I just read my comment! Any way Temple I home you like the modifications we made to your badge of honour. I appreciate the effort you put it things like that.
gypsyman
15 - Temple Stark
It twas bhw recognized your brilliance. I'm just rounding them up, as well I pick the music best. Another one up later today (Sunday).
I'd rather the graphic wasn't changed but I also have been thinking of making it clear it is for a post, not the site itself.
The extended version your wife made doesn't look too bad, though. I'll get one made for you tomorrow - er today. - with the correct font and typeface.
Also you bastard (LOL) you made me work to check out your site. Your link in your name says "squeek" instead of "squeak."