A Blog Called Nowhere

This posted by Wfmu Station Manager Ken on the WFMUblog page, "At first I thought that this video was one of those new-fangled fake viral movies put out by some net-slumming corporation to hawk its wares (in this case, some new kind of car engine). But no, it appears that Vitalic is really a Frenchman named Pascal Arbez who is committed to carrying the mantle of ridiculous European disco into the 21st century, his football helmet held high."

Art Bruts new single Emily kane is available at 45RPM to download, then check out the remix by Why Lout? Art Brut met at the annual Arthur Brut convention in Germany, CDTimes says "these 5 complete strangers were so taken with the eminent scientists work they formed a band in tribute to him there and then on the spot". Art Brut's CD is out at the end of May but they have videos and a Radio 1 session on their Website.
Fav song: Formed a Band.
This one of the BEST the best pop punk song I've heard, there is a video of it on the website but it's really retarded and sucks all the life out of the song, so best to just turn up the sound and ignore the naff animation.
Has anyone on this side of the puddle heard The lovely Brothers? They're suposed to be like a baroque Art brut (whatever that means). They have free downloads but when I tried to do it just now, it said come back in an hour...

I'm so glad makeup isn't my issue. If it was, I'm afraid it might go something like this David Lachepelle video for Mac starring the wacktastic Amanda Lepore, notorious titsy-assy NYC tranny... she's totally lost the plot. Watch at least 1/2 of it. Yes, it's sick and disturbing but it gets weird and ends up being pretty funny.

We went to see Downfall at the Filmforum the other day. Inside Hitler's Bunker, situation is fucked as the Russians overtake Berlin at the end of the war. There's lots of decadent partying and plans for suicide. It's heavy but gripping, a really good movie, try to see it. Sorry I've been slack on the music front. Last night I missed LouisXIV at the Bowery Ballroom because I got home too late from Bard, but Death From Above is playing this weekend, I'll be there, plus I'm expecting a GIANT package of CD's from The UK and Mr. Boadwee any day now.

Looking for a present for a kid I know, I came across this puzzling toy. I can't tell if it's a totally pathetic or if a kid might like it. Opinions welcome.

The text on the walls of the Met repeatedly said that Max Ernst's imagery was inscrutable. Oh yeah? Mrs.Cub and I woke up early Sunday morning and said, "Max Ernst, you bring it!" We had a leisurely morning scrutinizing his stuff, especially enjoying the paintings he made while in a menage-a-trois with his pal, Paul Eluard and wife, Gala. The ensuing dramas are thinly veiled in his imagery. What a nutter, a lot of the paintings are really funny, though no one was really laughing. Ernst was a student of Freud, he played with the idea of the unconscious, using it in part as a critique of rationality, and as far as I'm concerned there is never enough critique of rationallity on my plate.
What I found totally inspiring was how he constantly pushed his technique forward. Painters, I beseech thee, march en mass to the Met and see this cwazy show. Ernst introduces techniques like Frottage, Grattage, (I know, who knew?!?!), Decalcomania, uh and other stuff into his work, any manner or means of giving up control of the material in order to keep reinventing paint for himself and at the same time questioning the absolute authority of the artists. These ideas are appealing as I feel my own interests over the past few years shifting from imagery to materiality.
The indomitable Ms Laurie Weeks joined us to watch the L Word last night. I've discovered that if Mrs.Cub is ever getting up my ass about anything in public all I have to do is mention The L word in a loud voice and she gets so humiliated, she immediately obeys my every command. God, that show is a train wreck!

Petes been getting some really naff attantion on Page 6, heres the latest. I like the bit about Spanking off old queens for 20 quid. Heres some more Pete gossip from Hello Ms.Cub and I are off to the Metropolitan Museum this AM to see Max Ernst. The Ernst painting they picked to use for the promotion looks like it could be painted by Neo Rausch. I'll report back tomorrow. The Museum opens in 1/2 and hour and we want to beat the crowds. Ms.Cub and I realize that it only takes a few aggregators to turn a crowd into a mobbing riot and that anything can happen of the steps of the Met (it's MAX ERNST and there is only a couple of months left!), luckily we take time out every day to practice our crowd control techniques with giant stuffed toys

I've had a bad CD karma week. I sent away to AmazonUK for the new Yeti Cd but ended up accidentally getting the wrong Yeti CD. The Yeti I'm looking for is a Jon Haskel of the Libertines new project but instead I got some kooky prog rock crappapella, every song is a minimum of 3 hours long, shitski! I'll be getting the correct Yeti next week and will report back on it.

ALL NEW TO A BLOG CALLED NOWHERE:
((((((THE HELPFUL HINT HUT)))))))
I have a car affectionately known as the Jammy Jar. It's a sprightly lil' hunk of tin and I adore it, though the price of petrol fucks my $hit up. Turns out one of the cheapest gas stations in NY is around the corner from me. Find the cut rate gas in your neighborhood here. Scroll down to the bottom of the page if your're looking out of NY.

A big burst of applause for Paul Ramirez Jonaswho turned us on to this, the motherload of all art rock, "Sun Not Reagan". This song was written by Beuys and performed by a bonafide rock group! What a nutter, dissonance abounds as Beuys', uh, singing jangles along. I like how he arranges everyone on the stage and sings from back behind the drums. Watch him rock out! More info on this piece and LyricsHere.
-It's just come to my attention that the link to the video is no longer working. It worked for about 12 hours and then, I dunno, something happened. Sorry guys I'll try and figure out what happened.

I'm sending a bunch of work off this AM to Germany for a show in May. I'll post a few of the paintings over next couple of days. Heres a painting called Mining. I got to fly like a Mutant owlto my studio to meet the shippers.
Woah.

for Dana Schutz's gigantic, brilliantly colored, lushly painted canvas at PS1.
I saw a lot of art over the weekend, Posted below are some highlights from our art crawl.

Dan McCarthy @ Anton Kern
A "sensation of warmth, wonder and the dream-like quality these paintings emanate."

Magnus Von Plessen @ Gladstone. The chaotic surface hovers close to abstraction.
These are really daring, beatiful paintings.

Ridley Howard @LFL
"Epic and banal"

#1

#2

#3

Yesterday I saw the best painting show I've seen in months, Matthew Blackwell at the Edward Thorp gallery. This show was bitch'n. Matthew's paintings are madness, the paint is wet and drippy, and saturated. He has a kooky cast of charactors including old cars, cute bears, George Bush, hobos, and more. I will post pics later, It's a beautiful day and we are off to PS1 to see the Greater NY show. More art related bloggn' to follow.

We saw this store in LA last weekend. Which is it, an 98 or 99cent store? Whatever it is, it's definitely a dollar MAX.
Got some CD's in the mail and some from Other Music today. First and most importantly, on import, Kill City's Single, Hooligans on E. Great song written by Pete Doherty and gifted to the band, also on the single is a acoustic cover of White Boy Brown Girl that I quite fancy. I picked up the first Rough Trade Shops Compilation. Listening to it as I type, It's brilliant, they are the best record label, period. All their compilations are worth picking up. I found the new Garbage CD, Bleed Like Me in the used bin at OM, hahaha, that was quick. They where never really my cup of tea but I read a good review in Time Out which piqued my interest. Don't bother with it, it's garbage, as t'were. Also Picked up MU's new CD Out of Breach. This ones going to take a little time to digest. It's art-rocky yet also dancey. I can't wrap my head around attempting to describe it but this review in Pitchfork does a good job.
Art Crawl with Amy Sillman and Medrie MacPhee tomorrow so stay tuned for some gallery reviews. I'm knackered from a long day at the studio. If I can get off the sofa I may go hear The Women play at LIT. I have no idea who they are but like the name and LIT is right across the street from the Corn Shed.

Hunter MFA program is pretty cool. My lecture last night was a can of corn, I guess it didn't hurt that everyone was drinking beer through out my talk. Tom Sanfordis a student at Hunter and was recently picked up by Leo Koenig Gallery, it was fasinating talking with him and getting a deeper understanding of his work. I also met a guy named Scott Penkava who looks like Aladine Sane and make hilarious videos. I don't know if he has any presence on the web just now but I'll look into it.
This painting called Rabid Fan is for sale to benefit The Franklyn Furnace Archives. They gave me my first show in NY in 1991 (The Lesbian Museum, 10,000 years of Penis Envy), check out all the groovy art on line.
I've got a giant load of new Imports on there way from AmazonUK, HMV and Keith B. who's burning me some shit right this moment. so stay tuned for some new music reviews and other Humpery.

I keep reading about the 22-20s being the vunderkin of SXSW. I saw them play a few weeks ago and thought they were alright, nothing earth shattering. Now, if you want truly slamming guitar driven poppy-punk check out this ace song, Shot Down by Nine Black Alps. They're opening for the Kaiser Chiefs touring in the UK right now. Their New CD is due out June 6th.
You will all be relieved to know that my tormenting affliction (or cold with flu like symptoms including splitting headache, backache, stomach-ache, fever, clogged sinuses, extreme irritability, sore throat, slight numbness in feet area, etc.) is finally getting better! Thanks tons to all of you who sent cards, flowers and Hickory Farms Assorted Gourmet Beef and Cheese Gift Baskets! My victory would be meaningless without you!
I'm giving a slide talk for the Hunter MFAs tonight so I gotta go get my shit together.

Hey Kids, we're back from LA. We stayed with our pals Lara and Maia in Echo Park. Friday we shopped at Fred Segal for sunglasses and saw The Thing show at the Hammer ...that was amusing but no earth shattering moments. Did a whirlwind art tour on Saturday, listening to the Rhino two CD box set of the Monkeys while zipping around in our little Mustang convertible. The gallery scene in LA is always shifting around. The best shows we saw were in Culver City, the best BEST show was Amy Sillman's. Pictured here is a big painting called Elephant. Basically it's a sumptously painted abstraction with a trunk. Amy has almost completely left the land of image to enter a world of pure form line and color. Her abstractions are awesome, competent, and inventive. There are flurries of brush strokes and frothy layers of ugly/beautiful paint and nothing is precious. Great work Amy!
We went to a show about sound and image at LACMA that left us with bug eyes and migraines. Also at LACMA, a show of abstract paintings pulled from the permanent collection. We were pissed we didn't go see that first while our eyes were still functioning properly. Saturday night we were supposed to have Korean bbq dinner with Kate Moennig but the plan fell through... we also got to see friends Jamie and Andrea and their baby girl Finley who I taught to head butt. Ms. Cub and I are both home sick with fierce colds and having a comfy little pity party on the sofa. Brother Josh Eisenman told me everybody in NYC has a cold right now so I'm not allowed to feel bad for myself...
gtg back with some more art and music reviews wednesday.
Smell ya later...

Ms. Corncub and I are off to LA for a few days so won't post again until Monday. This lil'gem of a painting should tie you ove till then. I got this from a Bard MFA student last summer. I lost track of him and can't remember his name, but our researchers are on it...
I'm sorry I'll be missing this event:
FRIDAY, APRIL 8TH,
MIX FESTIVAL LTTR! 9 pm
Anthology Film Archives

This program brings together recent pieces by contemporary artists. Some titles include: Now (1973) by Lynda Benglis, Mock Rock (2004) by Ulrike Mueller, and YoYo Gang by G.B. Jones!! The program will end with the premiere of a new collaboration by Wynne Greenwood (of Tracy and
the Plastics) and our beloved K8 Hardy, titled New Report. Greenwood and Hardy create their own feminist news channel, exploring utopic and banal journalistic
endeavors. Have a great weekend,
-Toodles

I've got a tkt for Thurdsday's (4/7) sold out show at Bowery Ballroom, anyone want it? I can't go because me and my lady are off to LA for the weekend. Leave me a message in the comment box if you want to see this band thats all the rage.

Keep going, theres more.......

Last night Graham Coxon (former frontman of British pop sensation Blur) took over the Bowery ballroom with a giagantic set, mostly songs off his new album Happieness in Magazines, which is a must have, by the by. He's a kick'n guitarist and the set snaps, crackles and pops. Energetic as the music is, he didn't move around much on stage. Maybe he was taking his cue from the audience which was a bit older and a bit, uh... catatonic. I can't help a but to shake my thingamahgig when he plays a song like Freakin' Out. The highlight of the show was the japaneese girl in front of me who kept yelling to Graham, "You so cute"! each time he would crack up.

Am I misconstruing the meaning of this graffiti or is it shorthand for ''I love Ass Sex'' ?

Got some CDs to share with yall. First; the new Fischerspooner single - Just Let Go. Thumbs up. It sounds very Fischerspoonery so if you liked their first album you will like this.
I got the Worlds Apart single by And You Will Know Us By the trail of Dead. They are new to me even though theyve been around long enough to put out 3 albums. The Worlds Apart single is loud and boisterous but melodic. It includes a cover of the Monkeys awesome hit -The Porpoise song- Its a super sonic version of a great song and is available on iTunes definitely check that out. Im curious about the album but cant say run out and buy it based on the single.

The Who BBC secessions are a rockus romp compilation of 8 years of recording sessions with the BBC. I havent listened to the Who in years and its a pleasure to hear these variations on classic Who material like Boris the Spider Im Free Happy Jack and some other Who material I was unfamiliar with.

Joy Zippers album American Whip just sent to me from keith Boadwee my music guru.
It sounds a little like a quite My Bloody Valentine -a little like Luna -if you like those bands youll like Joy Zipper. Its good. Its lush and some of the songs build slowly and pack a punch -a very nice soft punch... good driving music.

The best new French Invasion Cds:
Some blokes and a girl crooner who sounds a lot like Jane Birkin made an album called Nouvelle Vague -dont ask just buy. Loungy bosanovaish versions of post punk hits. Its perfect music for a dinner party of middle ages punkers... of which I am one.

Available at Other Music is another totally amazing compilation of French electronic pop -So Young So Cold- French Under Ground Music 1977-1983 from the TigerSushi label. There is heavy Gary Newman and Kraftwork influence... very sexy and hypnotic.

Le Nouveau rock n Roll Francais. Another brilliant record sent to me courtesy of Mr. Boadwee. Man the French are kicking elecrto-pop ass!!!