music for feedback: toys, turning off the lights, and music usage in art.

DOWNLOAD: BEDTIME FOR TOYS- Say BOOM
- website - myspace - read that - cop that -

I have to confess that I escaped to Foxwoods today for dinner, so I don't have much to share but some ideas.

I'm kind of anti-gambling so my time at Foxwoods was spent eating and walking around, though I did play some skee-ball in the arcade. More importantly, Foxwoods has one of the most amazing contests going on. You swipe your "Wampum card"* and see if you get the opportunity to, wait for it...

Play tic-tac-toe. Against a LIVE chicken.

This isn't a joke, and I wish I had my camera with me so I could prove it to you. If you win, you get $10,000. If you lose, you get a t-shirt that says "I lost to a chicken at Foxwoods". In other words, if you are eligible to compete against the chicken...you are a winner no matter what. Seriously. I wanted a chicken t-shirt so badly that I almost asked them if I could buy one. Perhaps someone is selling one on e-bay?

With t-shirts in mind, I had planned on creating a basic t-shirt block today. With this block, I could print multiple images and play around with different t-shirt designs and colors. A shirt I am certain I will be using is one that reads "That's SO" followed by a picture of a raven, hence the image you see above. I know it's a corny pop culture reference, but it's a shirt I'd certainly wear next year and probably twenty years from now. I'm still receiving compliments on my text-only "I Snogged Ginny Weasley"t-shirt, so I think I have a good idea of what I'm doing, you know? I've always been a sucker for novelty t-shirts, but I haaaate running into someone who is wearing the same one. In seventh grade, I came into school wearing the same South Park t-shirt and pair of Jnco (don't laugh!) jeans as a girl in my homeroom. The entire day, people made fun of me...insisting that I called her up, asked what she was wearing the following day, and planned to match. It's not the issue of conformity that bothers me...the joke just isn't as funny when other people are in on it.

I have to confess that the South Park/Jncos incident of 1998 was a major reason that I became so self-conscious of what I wore to school. In high school, I used to keep a calendar tracking what I wore in a secret code for fear that I'd wear the same jeans or shirt in the same week. I admit that it's a little OCD, but people are mean! I didn't have the level of maturity back then to shake off the haters and do my thang. I was too busy being an angsty teenager. In any case, my documentation of my wardrobe got to a level of excess that during my graduation party, two of my cousins snuck into my room and added items such as "I Heart Men t-shirt" and "zebra thong" to the calendar. I can't decide if this was funny in retrospect.

1. MUSIC: I should briefly mention that the song I have posted isn't just coincidentally related to this post. Bedtime for Toys incorporates a bevy of visual elements into their live shows, which I have yet to see, including spectacular stage lighting and video elements. With that said, I am considering the incorporation of music into my thesis. Now, I'm not thinking of blasting dance-party ready jams like "Say BOOM" up in the gallery. I was thinking of going in the direction of more experimental tunes with fairly unclear subject matter, along the lines of the less lyrical compositions of Dave Doom, Twink's toy piano tunes, or Laura Goldhamer's instrumental works and interludes. Basically, I would like to use something that enhances the work without distracting the viewer...adding another level to the subconscious experience of imagining your childhood and the possibilities of the future. Do you think music would be overkill? If I can pull it off, I'd like the installation to feel like stepping into another world. I guess you could call it a birthday party of the subconscious? How important do you think it'd be for me to work with a composer to create original music rather than using unrelated tunage that just happens to work well with the pieces? Would it be overly corny to credit/market the artist in some way? Just some thoughts.
2. LIGHTING: There is a lovely wall of windows in the gallery space I'm using, but I'm considering covering them entirely and excluding all sources of natural light. I think this would enhance the feeling of "stepping into another world". There's also a glass door to enter my gallery space, and I'd love to keep it closed and covered. I don't know if this is against the gallery rules, so I'll have to talk to some people about it. I'd especially love to cover it with pictures children drew of what they want to be when they grow up. I wanted to be a doctor. HA!

Bring on some feedback. Seriously. I have an exciting post coming up tomorrow.

* The mere mention of "Wampum card" made me want to do nothing but listen to "Wamp Wamp" by Clipse & Slim Thug. Was I the only person who had that reaction?

quio: she likes to jump at people.

QUIO popped up on some random 16 year-old hipster kid's myspace page one day. Considering I don't usually take musical cues from teenagers who are trying too hard (very few teenagers aren't trying too hard, let's be honest), the strangest thing made me find her appealing. I'd ask you not to judge me for this, but the sole reason I was on the random 16 year-old's myspace was to judge him. Karma, I guess. So judge all you want.

Okay. So while I'm listening to "Gazon Gasolina", I swore that an element of the instrumental was taken from The Neptunes' instrumental for "Caught Out There" by Kelis. It's one single noise, and I may be crazy for noticing this, but it made a difference. I love, like, AND respect Kelis no matter what anyone else says. She's absolutely crazy. Crazy amazing. If you don't agree, perhaps you should read her cover story in VIBE Vixen, a magazine that was apparently created for women of color...and, um, me. So, in this article, Kelis talks about her relationship with her hubby Nas (which sounds like the healthiest show business relationship in the universe), her music, her family, and more. No, this isn't an advertisement for VIBE Vixen bitches. Admittedly, I read the article in Hudson News while waiting for my train back to the jerz at Penn Station. But seriously, Kelis is the real deal. Read that shit up in the Super Stop & Shop if you have to. She's the shit. <-- This video is further evidence. "BITCH...where'd you get that bag?"

Sorry, had to get that out of my system. Now back to Quio.

The first thing you should know about Quio is that she should not be taken seriously. In fact, she is violently against being taken seriously-- "She likes to...break up what supposedly makes sense. In misunderstandings she sees both the chance to have performer and listener create something new, and to put into question the perception of understanding something the wrong or right way. Quio is against seriousness when it is used as a tool of dominance, in the way that seriousness gives weight, means truth, means realness. Never wanting to impose meaning. She writes against preconceptions and boxing people in, especially women into premade schemes." Crazy. Crazy amazing.

If that doesn't convince you, perhaps you will be swayed by lyrics such as, "I spread my vibes like an orca in ultrasonic." Orcas aren't mentioned quite mentioned enough in pop music, and I salute Quio for attempting to address this issue.

Quio doesn't quite fit into a mold. On "Gazon Gasolina", she sounds like a nonsensical version of Lady Sovereign over some random-ass experimental electro track. On another side, "So Dazed" is just as non-sensical, yet it's mellow vibe is more suitable for a fan (or former fan) of The Postal Service. You can watch the trippy video for the latter song here.

Some final things you should know: I'm super late in discovering Quio. Over a year. On the other hand, I'm not sure if I can agree with radio babylon's assessment that, "this is perfect for anyone who loves M.I.A. but doesn't think she's grime enough." I guess everyone will have different things to say about Quio due to her genre-fucking tendencies. And, oh...by the way, her name is pronounced "oooh!" Yes, that doesn't make sense. At all.

DOWNLOAD: QUIO- So Dazed
DOWNLOAD: QUIO- Gazon Gasolina
DOWNLOAD: QUIO f/ LISE- Mom + Wife

BUY Like Oooh!

BLOGWATCH: Said the gramophone, my older brother when it comes to blogging, brings us new tunes and a great write-up about Basia Bulat, who I interviewed way back in Febz. Blogs are for dogs leads us to a new track by Air "One Hell of a Party", featuring guest vocals by Jarvis Cocker. You Ain't No Picasso pays tribute to his favorite band Bishop Allen with a post featuring songs from the final two EPs of their twelve month project.

emo lane: summer goes on.

THE ANNIVERSARY broke up in 2004 but continue to gain a following as their albums Designing For A Nervous Breakdown and Your Majesty are passed down from emo kid to emo kid...or more accurately, file sharing system to emo kid. In my "emo" phase, I scrounged through servers to find new tunes. I would download album after album of artists listed as "emo", only hanging on to the few that satisfied my ears immediately. Eventually my obsession ended, and I deleted most of the albums. Designing A Nervous Breakdown is one of few full albums still kicking after the great deletion of 2004. Why? Despite several songs being remarkably similar, I can still listen to the album to this day. Sure...it's whiney, melodramatic, and everything you expect from emo, but something about the instrumentation and male/female duel vocals made The Anniversary stand out among other emo acts.

In fact, the simple inclusion of female vocals makes them stand out. Emo is a heavily male-dominated genre for several reasons. The ladies are left voiceless. Even if a girl wanted to sing emo, she'd have to declare that she's "emo" and therefore look like a total poser who's trying too hard. Otherwise, her "emo" music would be labeled as chick rock or lesbian music. The reason males dominate the genre is because of the limitations of the word and gender norms. Men are expected to bottle up their emotions and suck it up, but when they let 'em out...whether they like it or not, a scarlet E is slapped onto their breasts. When women express their emotions musically, society says they're just being women. Am I wrong to say that? Because I said it.

In any case, it's awfully refreshing to hear Adrianne Verhoeven's smooth vocals flawlessly blending with the male vocals of the album. Her work on the keyboard is what makes the sound of The Anniversary so unique. Without her, there would be no band. In this sense, she's one of the first ladies of emo. None have come close to taking her thrown, other than Michelle Nolan of Straylight Run...but we'll talk about her later.

DOWNLOAD: THE ANNIVERSARY- All Things Ordinary
DOWNLOAD: THE ANNIVERSARY- Emma Discovery

BUY Designing A Nervous Breakdown

CORRECTION: My emo expert friend has corrected me that there is a popular emo band with a female lead singer, Paramore. Perhaps I shall look into them.

BLOGWATCH: Later, I'm sleepy!

emo lane: heaven is not here for me anymore.

Dashboard Confessional's new album? I will admit that I didn't have high hopes for it. I didn't expect it to change my life. I didn't expect it to be the Mona Lisa of rock music...

Before I go on, I will also admit that I used to be a huge fan back in my high school years. "So long, so long" ago, Dashboard Confessional was the soundtrack to my life-- detailing my fears, desires, and insecurities. I was obsessive, snatching up every unreleased song I could find online. At a concert, Chris Carrabba (see left) brushed past me and I didn't notice immediately . When my friends told me, I then proceeded to chase after him with a sharpie and the liner notes for The Places You Have Come to Fear the Most. I had carefully placed them in my pocket for an emergency situation such as this. Alas, I was unable to catch up to him...letting him slip away.

I approached this review with hesitation, simply because I was a fan. This led me to ask, "Did something change in me or did something change in the music?"

The answer: a little bit of both. The NY Times recently wrote an article about how young country singers are hurrying to grow old, singing songs worthy of people twice their age. On the opposite side of the ring, "Emo" frontmen sing songs made for people half their age. The whole sub-genre fosters a hesitance to grow up and confront problems, hence it's appeal to tweens and adolescents.

With that said, dear ol' Mr. Carabba hasn't grown up with his fans on Dusk and Summer. But does it even matter? As his old fans grow, a new generation of fans enter. On top of that, some old fans refuse to let go of the voice that helped them survive their first real break-up, unrequited crush, etc.

Even I hesitated to let go. After listening several times to the last album A Mark, A Mission, A Brand, A Scar, I felt absolutely nothing. I questioned whether I was becoming some sort of musical elitist...I questioned whether I had become emotionless. I pretended to like it for awhile. I tried to find it's strengths. And in the end of this struggle, the music was the loser. I went back to listen to older recordings and felt nothing aside from a soft touch of nostalgia.

Of course, it's not just me...it's him. He's changed. The obvious change is the move from acoustic guitar to full band. Some would call that selling out, but I think it's the general trend with solo acts. They get big enough...and then they get bands. Unfortunately for Chris, it seems all the sincerity went out the window as the drummer and bass player climbed in.

Lyrically, Carrabba has become less blunt, requiring listeners to dissect the lyrics to find a surprisingly unprofound message. Gone are the days of "I tried on my blue shirt, she told me she liked it, once" and in comes "And I will leave under the cover of summer's kiss upon the sky like the stone face of your lover just before she says goodbye". This is a shame, as the mindlessness of his earlier songs is what gave him the charm to stand out among other emo acts. Now all he has is his signature wail, a wail becoming less original as others try to imitate it.

I suppose this is a review though. And now that it's taken me as long as one of those signature wails to create a dialogue about Mr. Carrabba and his musical integrity, I don't know if I can give you that. It will just be very negative and tainted with the jaded opinions of a former fan. This is no longer my music. So long, so long.

DOWNLOAD: DASHBOARD CONFESSIONAL- So Long, So Long
DOWNLOAD: DASHBOARD CONFESSIONAL- The Secret's In The Telling

PRE-ORDER Dusk and Summer, to be released June 27th

BLOGWATCH: As promised, Stars are Blind delivered the new Janet Jackson single. Check out a show by The Decemberists over at B(oot)log or catch a stunning set by Jose Gonzalez on KCRW over at rbally.

...And don't forget to sign the petition to save network neutrality, blogging, and the internet.