Thrift Store Vinyl Radio program 1

(Scroll down for the radio show, which is located below my ramblings!)

I have a good deal of records ... not nearly as many as Ryan, who has a rather stunningly impressive collection ... Anyway, the ones I most value and cherish have been carefully sorted and alphabetized and lie on a series of shelves in my room ...


Then there's the other records ... I wouldn't exactly call the them the "rejects" or anything, but the majority of them were purchased at thrift stores and are located under my bed ... they are also largely ignored for the most part ...


Some of these records need to be added to my official collection, and the only reason they're mixed in with the "under the bed" vinyl is because after some thrift store trips I simply didn't have time to add them to the shelf ...


The other records were bought on a whim, either because they had amusing or interesting covers or because I thought I might could find some good "sampling material" on them or I didn't have a clue about what the sounds or music might be like so I just bought them, hoping for some sort of fantastic audio treasures ...


Speaking of treasures, I really love shopping at thrift stores, simply because you never know exactly what you might find there ... I especially like going with friends ... Here's Laura and Walker standing outside of the huge thrift store in Roebuck, AL =




And here's Walker with a new-found friend =




Aaaanyway, to get to the point, (almost like a New Year's resolution of sorts) I decided that I should really stop ignoring my potential "under-bed diamonds" and instead celebrate their existence by making a radio show at the end of each month with the sole intention of delving into all that magically unexplored vinyl!



And here it is, folks ... program 1 of the Thrift Store Vinyl Radio =

If you decide that you love it & MUST have it for yer very own, the download link is right HERE.




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So I officially have my art exhibit (with potter Jesse Cunningham) at Parnell Memorial Library in Montevallo, AL installed ... The show opened yesterday (Jan. 24th) and will be up for nearly 2 whole months ... if yer in the area, drop by and check out my new stuff!


Here's me in the library gallery right after the last painting was hung =



And here's the sign they have in the library foyer ... Jesse & I will be doing "artist talks" this coming Sunday (the 30th) at 2PM at the library during the show's opening reception =









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After I hung all the pieces in Montevallo, I journeyed down to Montgomery to visit my favorite sleepyhead, RYAN =



And here's his wonderful cat, Nico posing for me in the backyard =








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VIDEO TIME IS UPON US!!!





1st up, knowing my fascination with the musical genre, Ryan sent me this excellently directed Krautrock documentary (thanks, poobear!) ... and if part one whets yer appetite, there are 5 more parts to watch on Youtube =




Elise sent me this sliver of wonderful by Cineplexx (cheers!!!) =




Last week's introduction to Ghost Box Music led me to this surreal nugget by Moon Wiring Club =




And somehow after finding that, I was led to this intriguing short by Dolly Dolly =




Keeping on a surreal and psychedelic note, here's a brand new video from Times New Viking =




And wow! Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti were actually on Fallon doing "Round & Round" ! =




Billy Valentine filmed my band Nowhere Squares when we opened up for Man Or Astroman? this past New Year's Eve =








And for dessert, Ryan sent me a sneak preview of a great and hilarious show created by Carrie Brownstein & Fred Armisen called "Portlandia" ... It's on the Independentt Film Channel ... I can't wait to see some full episodes! =




Here's one more preview =



And another =

Seance Mix

(photo by Laura Ledbetter)

This mixtape may be perfect for =

A. Feeling otherworldly
B. Playing with a quija board
C. Making contact with the spirit world
D. Pretending to make contact with the spirit world
E. Sleepwalking


and ... here is is ... the one & only Seance Mix ... ENJOY. =



A. "A Seancing Song" = Broadcast & The Focus Group
B. "The Harmony Programme" = The Focus Group
C. "Chain Of Missing Links" = The Books
D. "Good Day Today" = David Lynch
E. "They Are In The Room With Us Right Now" = Roj
F. "Ouroborindra" = Eric Zann
G. "New Dimensions In" = The Advisory Circle
H. "Sealed With A Kiss" = Deerhoof
I. "Seasons Change" = Hong Kong In The 60s
J. "Seance On A Wet Afternoon" = John Barry
K. "Tears In The Typing" = Broadcast
L. "Lanhydrock - Old Music Box " = National Trust
M. "A Medium's High" = Broadcast & The Focus Group
N. "Take Your Time" = Love Is All
O. "Inn Ohm the Lake" = Belbury Poly
P. "I'll Try Anything Once" = The Strokes









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R.I.P. Trish Keenan of Broadcast ... Tragically, she died at age 42 of pneumonia this past weekend ... What a beautiful voice she had ...



Here is a video tribute to her memory =
















I also stumbled upon a very revealing Broadcast interview from 2009 which explains the slightly surreal and darkly psychedlic direction the band had been going in ...

And ... WOW ... Laura Ledbetter (who took the amazing photo of Trish that is now the the Seance Mix cover art) sent me a link to Altered Zones, which contains a mix that Trish Kennan herself made for her friend, David Brewster just weeks before her death ... Thanks Laura!

In Brewster's own words:

“Trish Keenan from Broadcast passed away on Friday 14th January 2011, she was an amazing, talented woman and will be missed by many.

In December 2010 Trish sent me a mix CD she compiled, I never thanked her. Its called Mind Bending Motorway Mix and I want to share it with you, please pass the link on, share it far and wide, its a little tribute to a (as a friend referred to her today) exhilarating woman.

Sorry I don’t have a tracklist and to be honest I like it that way. I think its less about who you’re listening to on this compilation and more about the fact you are listening to something that Trish took time to select and compile for me and in turn yourselves. Please just enjoy the music."





It's funny and odd how Life (and Death) works ... how someone's untimely end can suddenly and unexpectedly trigger a chain of events that lead to new discoveries and the opening of doors to new and exciting things in other people's lives ...


By "talking" to by my good friend Roy Burns on facebook (about Keenan's death and Broadcast's last album, which was a collaboration with graphic designer Julian House [The Focus Group], he left me a link to House's record label and thus turned me onto an entire new world of music and sounds =

Ghost Box Music

" The concept for the label was hatched by House and Jupp (who attended the same school) in 2003; a manifesto of influences was compiled, which included "music for schools, cosmic horror stories, library music, English surrealism, and the dark side of psychedelia".[citation needed] In 2004, the first The Focus Group and Belbury Poly releases became available on CD-R. House and Jupp have stated the purpose of the label was to create "not just a record label, but an imaginary world".

In an interview with Cyclic Defrost, Jim Jupp commented :

' Part of a theme that’s ongoing in all the Belbury Poly records, and I think all of the Ghost Box records (...) is a tradition of British science fiction, where you’ve got on the one hand the setting of a very traditional background, with very ancient things, but you’ve got this weird, cosmic stuff happening at the same time. A lot of old British sci-fi books – John Wyndham, for instance – have these really mundane, quaint little village settings, but all of a sudden something really freaky and cosmic appears in the middle of it. ' "


I was (and still am!) totally and completely intrigued ... Ghost Box Music is filled with an amalgamation of exactly what is described above ... collagey, dream-like albums that really do sound like the listener is tapping into an entire "imaginary world" ... Thanks, Roy!

Below is the 1st of a series of radio shows they're starting to post on their blog ... Enjoy (I did!) =

Radio Belbury

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Now for a bit of random news and such ...




As previously reported, I have an art show coming up next week with fellow artist, Jesse Cunningham ... Here's the announcement =


The 2011 Winter Exhibit in the Parnell Memorial Library Gallery will feature works by Jesse Cunningham, potter, and Paul Cordes Wilm, painter. The exhibit will open on Monday, January 24, and will close on Friday, March 11, 2011. The gallery talks and reception honoring the two artists will be held on Sunday, January 30, at 2:00 p. m. at the library. The public is invited to attend. The exhibit and reception are sponsored by the Montevallo Arts Council (www.montevalloartscouncil.org).

Jesse Cunningham, born in Fairfield, California, lived in places as different as Alaska and Chilton County, Alabama during his growing up years as he and his military family moved frequently. A graduate of the University of Montevallo, he has taught visual arts for almost twenty-one years. He is presently teaching in the Shelby County School System as well as producing sculpture and pursuing his interest in photography.

Paul Cordes Wilm calls himself a Southern painter, since he grew up in Mobile and now lives in Birmingham. He is a full-time artist whose work has been called "Folk-Pop," a term that Paul has decided to use, though "most of the pieces lean more to the 'Pop' side of things." His works, often tinged with humor and sarcasm, embody his strong commitment to recycling, since they are created largely from recycled materials.

The Library Gallery is free and open to the public during regular library hours: M-W-F: 10:00 a. m.-5:00 p. m., T-TH: 10:00 a. m.-8:00 p. m., and Sat.: 10:00 a. m.-1:00 p. m.




And recently on facebook, Lisa Cordes posted this link to some really beautiful photos of abandoned buildings and such ...




In more random news, check out Chris Stewart and Beth Ragland's rather awesome submissions to the Sketchbook Project ...




Also, check out Weston Flippo's band Japanese Women's astoundingly aggressive debut cassette "Order" ...



And oh yeah! Tantra Bensko had her intriguing story "Anti" published on the Metazen site ... congrats, Tantra!




Here's two pictures of my wondrous cat & friend, Charley =



A. Looking wise and stoic




B. "Posing" with Ryan (you wouldn't know it from the photo, but she loves him! haha)








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Many (crrraaaazy) videos lie ahead ...



The wonderful insanity of Fergus and Geronimo =




A beautifully disturbing one from Excepter =



A totally bizarre one by Holy Fuck =

Elise sent me this (shanks!) saying : "This reminded me of your space snow pic!" =



And this one by Crystal Castles (ft. Robert Smith) is hereby for Elise =

Ryan sent me this bit of wonderfulness by Hauschka (thank you) =






And now ... dessert time ensues ...




Speaking of Ryan, this week he sent me a lot of hilarity ... Thanks, Ryan!!!!!!

A.


B.


C.



John Lytle Wilson posted this lil tidbit (cheers!) =





And now for some mindless repetition!



Paul Fugazotto posted this creepy ass Sarah Palin clip (danke!) =




And last but certainly not least, Roy Burns posted this bizarro Shelley Duvall intro clip (thanky!) =