03.21.07
NOT DEAD.
Where did you go, Stephen? Are you dead? Did my lack of entries over the past three weeks worry you? Have no fear. I'm here. But if you were concerned, thank you. I appreciate that you would notice a change in the blog pattern. Anyway, I have been flooded with new (old) music lately, thanks to Roxanne Slimak who works at Sony and attends my class in the East Village with her twin sons. She hooked me up with about 50 CDs from their collection, which focuses mostly on classical, but also includes bluegrass (Bela Fleck and Edgar Meyer), country (Bob Wills), Jazz (Sarah Vaughan), World (Youssou N'Dour) and Opera. It makes me realize just how limited my music collection is. Some of the best musicians and compositions in the world have hitherto been excluded from my regular listening. And why? Probably because they are not considered "cool" and marketed to my generation. Damn. We miss out on so much by being pop consumers. Why don't Prokofiev or Puccini have the same pop power as Prince? Maybe they did once, but no longer. This music is old, but not dead. We are sold on hype and these classical forms do not recieve the same focused attention as, say, Lily Allen. Will Lily Allen survive hundreds of years? Hmmm... I also had the fortunate experience of seeing Laurie Anderson at Joe's Pub on Sunday. I knew virtually nothing about her other than that she is married to Lou Reed, who sat in and played a few songs with her. I was very surprised to look around and feel, for the first time in many years, that I was one of the youngest audience members. Again, I had been missing out on this unique music because it is not marketed to me. Damn. I claim to have some aversion to being a targeted consumer but in reality I am the prized demographic and unconsciously live my life as an advertising sponge. And not only that, but I propagate pop culture in this blog. Damn. I feel so used.
03.01.07
Science of Sleep
Michel Gondry is unbelievable. He has the most unique vision for making movies. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind is a journey to nowhere in your head; a beautiful emptiness. Zen. The Science of Sleep is a wormhole to an alternate universe where being asleep and being awake are the same; a mix of fantasy and reality made with his outrageous artwork and great acting. An incredible acheivement. If you've never seen his LEGO video for The White Stripes "Fell In Love With A Girl", you need to check it out.