Half Awake Mix

This mixtape will be perfect for:

A. Wanting to sleep in

B. Wearing pajamas all day long

C. Getting excited about menial tasks

D. Doing something unexpected

E. Drifting in and out of dreams & waking

You can delve into it right HERE.

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Wow ... this past week seems like it lasted FOREVER! Time's weird like that ... Maybe it's because the weather changed so much ... all four seasons in one week! I'm not kidding ... Last Tuesday we had a bit of Winter snow again and then it got really cold ... then it felt like maybe 4 days of Autumn, and as Saturday unfolded, suddenly Spring appreared! The biggest surprise was Sunday, because my softball team, the Bad News Bearons were scheduled to have our 1st practice of the year ... I think most of us assumed it would be too cold, but voila! It was actually a Summery 70 degrees that day, which seemed miraculous and made for the best 1st practice ever ... crazy!

Elise sent me these crazy "Are You Psychic?" cards ... there are 5 different shapes on them (a star, square, circle, triangle and cross) and you have to guess which one the other person is holding up ... sadly, I'm not any good at it! But then again, neither are any of my friends ... haha

Below is some footage Jonathan Purvis shot at the HoWaYaDa Klann opening at Litebox ... I think it turned out pretty amazing and beautiful:

I woke up Friday morning at 6:30AM to roaring sirens ... Leaping out of bed, I ran to the front porch and immediately saw this sight about a block away:

I quickly got dressed and walked down the street to get a better

look ... This house that's divided into 4 apartments was all ablaze and smoking ... most of

the folks who lived there were standing outside in their pajamas, shivering ... it was a pretty sad scene to behold and it made me paranoid about the safety and vulnerability of my own place ...

On a lighter note, I finally finished this commission I'd been working on for my friend Duncan ... it's a painting of the Edward Lear poem, "The Owl & The Pussycat" and I think it turned out pretty nice:

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In video news, the band Liars have a splendid new one out for their song "Scissor" ... I kind of hope they have a video for every song of their new album "Sisterworld", since this one is so damned amazing:

Speaking of amazing ... both this new Caribou song ("Odessa") and the video for it simply blow me away:

Lastly I found a new video by Bobby Birdman and it makes me laugh cuz I remember Bobby from a while back ... I was selling merch for Brightblack Morning Light (when I was still with Paul F. and he was still in that band) on a Bonnie Prince Billy tour in California ... Bobby was part of Will Oldham's band back then ... it was a crazy & fun experience being on that tour etc ... Lots of memories ... Anyway, this song's pretty cool and also YACHT make a special guest appearance in it ... dig it:

Recap Mixes A & B

HAPPY BIRTHDAY,

PSYCHIC TUESDAY!!!

YOU TURN ONE YEAR OLD TODAY!

These mixtapes will be perfect for:

A. Getting sentimental

B. Remembering some things you totally forgot

C. Catching up if you missed out

D. Feeling a bit schizophrenic

E. Turning one year old!

I was telling Laura yesterday (as I got these "recap" mixes together and compiled all of the "backyard" photos from this past blog year) that it's funny how small a year can seem, especially when looking at it as 50 + weeks translated into 50 + one inch photographs ... and yet how enormous and epic it can seem at the same time when listening back to it as 2 big 25 song mixes ... weird! I guess when I started this blog, I never really projected very far ahead, since what happened in each week and the week past seemed so important at the time ... ah, Time! you ole devil!

The oddest sensation for me though, is the feeling that the blog started out (and still starts out each time) as something that comes from me ... and yet, looking back on it ... it seems to have become a "something" in itself, something that's now separate from me ... it's kind of like knowing a tiny bit what a parent feels like to see her or his child growing up ... wow

Anywaaaay, on that note, here are Recap Mix A and Recap Mix B, consisting of the 1st song of each mix from start to finish through this past year ... Enjoy!

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Sentimentality aside, I actually don't have too much to report ... after finishing those bathroom door paintings last week, I took a rather nice break from painting and enjoyed a bit of a "week off"... writing in my journal, cleaning stuff up and slowly getting my website revamped (something that prolly won't be finished till like late April ... haha) ... Friday was a pretty amazing day, full of snow adventures and later a great art opening called "Role Playing" at Litebox Gallery ... a bunch of my friends had photos and paintings in the show ... the funnest part for me was playing with a lot of these home-made instruments in a an installation called "flusaudiuxtory: intermental transdio expeririactive aumition" a HoWaYaDa Klann (Larry Hoagland, Jess Marie Walker & Brad Davis) installation of multiple amplified assemblage situations ... Jess Marie took this photo of Jonathan, Walker and I going crazy on it:

I got so carried away on this instrument made of old rusty wrenches that I sort of broke it and it had to be repaired ... whoops

So anyway, they're gonna be doing a special performance using all of these instruments this Thursday, Feb. 18th ... check out all the info about it right HERE.

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So I mentioned that the same Friday as the opening it snowed ... and it was a great snow! Like in the movies! haha ... so please forgive the oncoming onslaught of celebratory snow photos I took that day:

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Okay now that I got that out of my system, in video news I found the following black & white gems this past week:

David Brown brought this next one to my attention ... and the only appropriate word to describe it is AWKWARD ... bear witness:

And now, ladies & gentlemen ... let us now bid a fond farewell to last blog year's photographic anchor, the much-loved "backyard photo" ... soon to replaced by the baby new year blog photo,

the "front porch photo" ... haha ... Here we see the back yard photo in a before-and-after-the-snow series ... Bye bye! we'll miss you, old friend!

Jim's "Only The Echoes Of My Mind" Mix

This mixtape is the awesome second half of a brilliant two-parter created by none other than Mr. James Pee Fahy ... I'm still trying to figure out exactly who that is up there on the cover! Here's Jim now to give you the low-down:

My second Psychic Tuesday mix, “Only The Echoes of My Mind” is the more introspective of the two discs. You may infer some sort of narrative from this disc… I certainly had one in mind while making it -- however vague it may (and should) seem.

2009 was hard for me… A year of deep questioning and depression… Some of which steadfastly remains. Still, this disc looks to the future with a sense of elation… And radio static.

A few track notes: You’ll notice the return of both Vic Chesnutt and Luna. Vic is one of my musical heroes. I still can’t bear that he’s gone. Dean Wareham, who is still thankfully among us, is another. So many of my mixes end up with some sort of Wareham-related track. Can’t help it: The man has made a ton of great music. The two tracks before the intermission are by the late, great Junior Kimbrough (I’ve been on a kick). “Pagans” is from Birmingham band, Imaginary Planes, lovely debut. This track is particularly beautiful… It also reminds me of a Tuscaloosa band that my friend, John Wendel, put on mix tape for me years ago, but I’ve since lost the case and can’t recall their name (Thoughts?). Finally, Glossary are big time Teen Getaway pals from Murfreesboro, TN. Their latest album, Feral Fire, is now available, as is an LP release of their previous record, The Better Angels of Our Nature. You’d do well to own both.

Don’t forget that both this disc and “I Am The Ghost of Just This Moment” will each fit on their own CD. I think it’s better to listen to it this way -- especially if you’re driving. But whatever your listening habits, I hope you enjoy both of these special mixes.

Thanks again to Paul C. Wilm for letting me play along.

Onward,

--jim.

You can promptly indulge in this exquisite mix HERE. 3 cheers for Jim!

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Alas, I FINALLY got around to making hard copies of the "How To Listen To Now 2009" mix ... it took extra long this time because I kept running into weird volume issues etc ... it really put me face to face with just how much of a damned perfectionist I can be with some things! arghh!!! Anyway, I'm glad I'm done with em and can now hand em out to folks ...

Speaking of being finally done with something, I'd been commissioned to paint a pig and a bunny on two bathroom doors for Coby & Cindy Lake, and all I needed to do to finish them this weekend was to clear-coat them on my porch ... Well, all it did the whole weekend was rain, rain, RAIN! so instead I spent my daylight hours arduously working on a grant application for the Alabama State On The Arts (I'm STILL not finished with that!) ... I was finally able to clear-coat the doors and sell them today so ... yippeeee for that!

oh yeah ... on more thing ... I was watching this British show called "The Midsomer Murders" and decided to sample some music from one part of the program ... then I looped it and added some choice audio bits I'd recorded from the festivities during last New Year's Eve ... among these is Carrie talking, me laughing, my brother Peter screaming at a firework, Jess Marie yelling ... haha ... I stuck it all together and called it "Stuff & Banging" ... it's kind of ambient and psychotic all at the same time ... enjoy!

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In video news, I found the following nugget on the Deerhunter blog and it really brought some childhood memories to the surface ...

Bradford Cox had this to say about it:

"and you were watching frosty the snowman.

When all the sudden after it was done a weird barrage of creepy animated rays and lights almost appeared to come out of the television. and you were hypnotized into a psychedelic trance, THAT SCARED THE LIVING,

SHIT OUT OF YOU.That was logophobia and from Sesame street to Mickey

mouse,TV production company's brought you these disstressing shorts to warp your mind with esoteric fucking beams of light and sound.these should be rated R!for brain disturbance"

And all I can say about this next video (by Jonsi of Sigur Ros) is that it makes me really happy:

Here's a truly amazing one by Massive Attack ... just, WOW:



And finally, whenever I listen to A Sunny Day In Glasgow, in my mind I never actually picture people singing ... and it took watching this video to make me suddenly realize that! ha ha:

Jim's "The Ghost Of Just This Moment" Mix

I love this mixtape!!! It was created for you by my dear friend, the incredible & incomparable Jim Fahy ... He is a local writer and musician, and you can check out his main squeeze, Teen Getaway, on Facebook, MySpace, and Reverb Nation. You can pick up both physical and digital copies of their latest (and rather awesome) album, Nighthawks, from Interpunk.com ... And this mix is only the 1st of a "two parter" ... so expect more Jim goodness next week!

Here are a few words from Jim himself concerning his creation:

"I’ve always loved making mixes. Somewhere I heard / read that Cameron Crowe liked to make a mix at least once a month so that it could serve as a musical diary of his life. I’m all for it.

I was already in the mood to make a new mix when Paul suggested I make one for Psychic Tuesday. I was honored and so filled with ideas that I ended up making two -- and here’s the first: “I Am The Ghost of Just This Moment”

People do different things with their mixes. Mine always pay particular attention to transitions and narrative. “Ghost” has a little bit of narrative, but is mostly a survey of what I really love listening to at the moment. I also thought it should have a bit of a party vibe. As a result it’s at times, danceable, horny, reflective, and calming… The compressed arc of a weird night out. I hope you enjoy it. The next mix is a bit more introverted…

FYI: First Kentucky Post is a musical alias that I’ve employed for about a decade or so. Keep an eye out for some of this stuff to be released in the near future. "

And now ... HERE is the mix, in all of it's sonic glory! Thanks, Jim!

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I can't believe that January is FINALLY over! It is definitely not my favorite month or time of the year ... but alas, compared to past Januaries, this one was actually a pretty decent one, full of commissions and a group art show and snow and other unexpected treats ... One of which was my friend Danny Gamble commissioning me a portrait of Alabama author, Albert Murray ... it turned out pretty good, too:

Also, the prints of the painting I did for the Alabama Symphony Orchestra production of "Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon" came in ... I had to sign and number 50 of them so they can sell them in the lobby before the performance:

Also this week was the first Bad News Bearons meeting of the year ... It was great seeing all my old team mates again ... our 1st official practice will be Feb. 21st ... Before the meeting, Bo & Byron gave me a ton of house & spray paint they were getting rid of cuz their moving out of their studios in Magic City Wholesale ... I am very grateful.

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In video news this week I found the trailer for Animal Collective's upcoming MOVIE "Oddsac", which looks like it'll be both scary and weird as Hell! can't wait:

I also found this beautifully funereal gem by Yeah Yeah Yeahs:



And if you have seen the video DVD that comes with Beach House's "Teen Dream", you'll know that the video for "Norway" is basically just an episode of "Showbeast" with the B.H. song being played over it, which to me is kind of disappointing, since the song is so awesome ... Below is what I consider a MUCH better (and simpler) video:

Last of all, I found a fan-made video to this great Mount Eerie song ... Peter & I had a backyard fire the nite before the "Wolf Moon" happened (it poured rain the actual nite of the full moon) but after I photographed the fire and the moon, I suddenly wanted to hear "No Flashlight" and happily discovered this ... enjoy: