Birdwise

Pages linking to my art, music and writings. Periodic updates and random posts of things that interest me.
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Rorschach

—Someone

woundedgalaxy:

Rorschach - Someone (Live)

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United Waters

—No End to Eyes

woundedgalaxy:

United Waters - No End To Eyes

Easy like Sunday morning (hand throwin up a fat W (also, probly not all that easy)).

Great little track.

standardgrey: Book Review: “How to Sharpen Pencils,” by David Rees : The New Yorker ATTN: Inventory magazine. No less comical than artisanal axes. For the past three years or so (ever since he quit doing “Get Your War On,” his viciously funny satirical cartoon strip about the war on terror), Rees has been running a small pencil-sharpening business out of his home in Beacon, New York. Clients send him fifteen dollars and a blunt pencil, which he then sharpens by hand before sending it back to them complete with bagged shavings and a signed certificate of sharpening. (If fifteen dollars a pop seems a little steep, here’s how Rees explained his prices in an interview with Details magazine: “I’m sure there’s somebody in India who could sharpen your pencil for $8, but if you want authentic American craftsmanship … that’s how much quality costs these days.”)

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Book Review: “How to Sharpen Pencils,” by David Rees : The New Yorker

ATTN: Inventory magazine. No less comical than artisanal axes.

For the past three years or so (ever since he quit doing “Get Your War On,” his viciously funny satirical cartoon strip about the war on terror), Rees has been running a small pencil-sharpening business out of his home in Beacon, New York. Clients send him fifteen dollars and a blunt pencil, which he then sharpens by hand before sending it back to them complete with bagged shavings and a signed certificate of sharpening. (If fifteen dollars a pop seems a little steep, here’s how Rees explained his prices in an interview with Details magazine: “I’m sure there’s somebody in India who could sharpen your pencil for $8, but if you want authentic American craftsmanship … that’s how much quality costs these days.”)

Terre Thaemlitz : I Once Got in Trouble

This autobiographical account of being bullied, written by Terre Thaemlitz is deeply moving and fills me with feelings of sadness and rage.  I was also bullied in school, at times severely, and once I pulled a knife on some other students because I felt so angry and hopeless about it that I felt the use of potential violence and fear was a legitimate tactic to combat my enemies.  Somehow I managed to not get kicked out of school, but I recall feeling that my guidance counselor and vice-principle thought it was more my fault (the bullying - not the knife wielding, which was never reported) in some way, a problem with my family and my socialization rather than a problem with the other students.  To this day I still get into moods where I wish I did more than threaten those other students with that knife and had inflicted some real damage, sometimes I think, had I not gotten caught if I did this, it would resolve or at least lessen a lot of issues I still have regarding feeling empowered in various social situations, that the violence would have been at once a catharsis and taking back of my own sense of dignity and control.  I’ll never know, and I’m likely wrong, but the mood still strikes me from time to time.  I cannot lie.  Luckily its not that often but I think it shows what could be a lasting effect from bullying and years of other negative experiences since.  Some of Terre’s experiences seem close to my own in many ways and he/she draws similar conclusions about society as a whole and the deep structural reasons behind bullying that I also have based on my own experience.

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—Save Your Lubb

towerofsleep:

Bullion - save your lubb from Love Me Oh Please Love Me

If you don’t have this EP yet (you can stream the whole thing on Soundcloud), you are really missing out. Bullion’s totally unexpected transition from a kitchen-sink post-dubstep maximalist into a Wyatt-esque psych-pop crooner (he covers Robert Wyatt on this EP — beautifully, I might add) might remind you of Caribou’s similar transformation back in the day. Though, in retrospect, I think Dan Snaith’s early IDM and two-step influenced stuff is underrated (especially If Assholes Could Fly This Place Would Be an Airport).

For Bullion, though, this is a huge step forward. The EP is really varied, and his aptitude and versatility for this sort of thing is stunning — every track is equally great. If, like me, you worship Robert Wyatt and Arthur Russell, this is going to blow your socks off. Basically the perfect music as far as I’m concerned.

This is good.

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—Demo tracks 2012

A bunch of new tracks by me can be found in this set.  Don’t be shy. Feedback much appreciated.

christopherschreck: “Why MFA Critiques Are Futile Exercises” by Brad Troemel new essay from Brad now up at DIS magazine “The underlying problem with MFA critiques is that they are the byproduct of MFA programs that are proposing to do two contradictory things at once: be a space for radical experimentation and honest dialogue, while also being a launch pad for the successful careers of artists who will go on to make consistent work. Risk taking is at odds with consistency. Honesty is at odds with career professionalism. Unfortunately, these oppositions make the odds set against MFA group critiques being anything but self-defeating.”

christopherschreck:

“Why MFA Critiques Are Futile Exercises” by Brad Troemel

new essay from Brad now up at DIS magazine

“The underlying problem with MFA critiques is that they are the byproduct of MFA programs that are proposing to do two contradictory things at once: be a space for radical experimentation and honest dialogue, while also being a launch pad for the successful careers of artists who will go on to make consistent work. Risk taking is at odds with consistency. Honesty is at odds with career professionalism. Unfortunately, these oppositions make the odds set against MFA group critiques being anything but self-defeating.”

Test Dept - Voice of Reason