Random cool things about this week...

[catherineldf]

Got to go hear my pal Bryan Thao Worra read on Monday night from his forthcoming book of spec fic poetry, "The Other Side of the Eye." He'll be reading again on Monday the 23rd at DreamHaven at 6:30ish. Go check it out - Bryan rocks! His poetry's quite good and he does a fine reading, along with being a generally swell guy.

Bought several very cool albums including Michael Franti and Spearhead's "Yell Fire!" which is full of great political reggae. And I'm normally not big on reggae. This is a big exception.
Also bought Gogol Bordello's "Super Taranta!" GB's sort of Gypsy Punk (their term) and this album is a blast (and pretty FCC unfriendly to boot :-).

Just got back from the Minnesota Museum of American Art in lovely downtown St. Paul. It was opening night for their new show "In Her Own Right: Minnesota's First Generation of Women Artists" and local spoken word megastar Desdamona performed. Great show - they found some amazing pieces. I fell in love with the paintings of Ada Wolfe, an African American impressionist who lived and painted here through the 1940's, and the portraits of Frances Cranmer Greenman. Both of them did some lovely intense work. Desdamona was terrific - I've been wanting to go hear her for ages now so I'm glad that finally happened. MMAA - http://www.mmaa.org/

Comments

[thaedeus.livejournal.com]

Ah yes! I love that Spearhead album too! Bought it a day or two after I
heard the title song on 89.3 (6 months ago or so). Great lyrics and vocals.
Not to mention a little more variety of sounds than a typical reggae album
(one song sounds a little like U2, and such. they aren't all 2/4 reggae sounding).

That guy has a great voice as well. I think the backup singing [off key on purpose?]
almost ruins one of the songs, but that is really my only complaint.

GREAT MINDS THINK ALIKE? LOL

[catherineldf.livejournal.com]

Definitely! I love several songs on that album and have been listening to "Hello, Bonjour," which under ordinary circumstances would have been way too sappy for me. But somehow they make it work. I bought the album after I heard "Light Up Your Lighter" - don't think I've heard "Yell Fire!" get much play around here but was pleasantly surprised to hear "Lighter" on The Current. :-))

[thaedeus.livejournal.com]

Yeah, for me, the first song (Time To Go Home), "Yell Fire!," "Lighter," and "Everybody Ona Move" (which I think has the nasty background screeching in it: LA LA LA!) are my favorites.

[gavinatlas.livejournal.com]

Did you ever see the movie, Basquiat? I don't know how well it represented him, and I can't say I'm an art expert, but frankly I thought his paintings were terrible. On the other hand, things he said and wrote were pretty intriguing. I wonder if he was a spoken-word artist or poet. That, to me, would have made more sense.

[catherineldf.livejournal.com]

I haven't seen it - I'm not much of a modern art kind of gal. I know I've seen some of his artwork, possibly at the Walker but I tend to be drawn to old paintings and such.

[gavinatlas.livejournal.com]

I like some modern art, but I'm not usually a fan of "contemporary art." I have a book of modern art from Phaidon, and I've played this game where I look at the piece and guess whether it's pre-1950 or post-1950. For the most part, if I don't like it, it must be post-1950. :-)

[catherineldf.livejournal.com]

I feel like that too, only my limit is more like 1930. I'm not big on paintings of things I can't identify and even less so on the Fiesta ware (and other things circa 1950). :-) I do love the PreRaphaelites, the whole Arts and Crafts movement and an assorted grab bag of early painters like Elizabeth Vigee LeBrun, Rosa Bonheur, and others.
Ironically, my girlfriend does/did lots of nonrepresentational art. It's taken me about 10 years to get used to having some of her artwork on the walls. I love her leather bindings though so I figure it balances out.