Cleo described her music as a combination of jazz, dance hall, drum&bass, and hip hop, which I think is pretty accurate. If I had to choose one genre it would be hip hop – she raps in a quick paced rhythm reminiscent of Matisyahu. The intricate compositions, however, make it difficult to stray far from the jazz designation. Her voice is an ethereal mixture of Shawn Colvin, Azure Ray, and Ani DiFranco; she also incorporates some Blige funk and Björk vocal effects. Although the production quality of all the songs is not equal, something a few tweaks on the mixing board will rectify on a second release, their ingenuity is. I really enjoyed Simple; the catchy guitar lick loops nicely with her fast flowing rap and the lyrics are filled with reflexivity and contemplation, e.g., "You sit there cynically pretending not to care about my lyrics" and "The West was better before my ancestors settled here." On Manifest she collaborates nicely with a male vocalist and adds strings to the funk beat. (It would work great if the short clip of throat-singing at the end was worked into the song.) Stairwell Sounds and Great Goddess profile the great range of her voice, from haunting to whimsical.
Saturday, November 29, 2008
Muse : ik
Cleo described her music as a combination of jazz, dance hall, drum&bass, and hip hop, which I think is pretty accurate. If I had to choose one genre it would be hip hop – she raps in a quick paced rhythm reminiscent of Matisyahu. The intricate compositions, however, make it difficult to stray far from the jazz designation. Her voice is an ethereal mixture of Shawn Colvin, Azure Ray, and Ani DiFranco; she also incorporates some Blige funk and Björk vocal effects. Although the production quality of all the songs is not equal, something a few tweaks on the mixing board will rectify on a second release, their ingenuity is. I really enjoyed Simple; the catchy guitar lick loops nicely with her fast flowing rap and the lyrics are filled with reflexivity and contemplation, e.g., "You sit there cynically pretending not to care about my lyrics" and "The West was better before my ancestors settled here." On Manifest she collaborates nicely with a male vocalist and adds strings to the funk beat. (It would work great if the short clip of throat-singing at the end was worked into the song.) Stairwell Sounds and Great Goddess profile the great range of her voice, from haunting to whimsical.
Odelicious
A good example, which even the most forward-thinking of politicians may have to rescue, is the American auto industry. Currently, it teeters like the statues of overthrown revolutionaries. These companies have not learnt, even the hard way. Ford, of the three, has perhaps learnt the most since it adopted green production techniques and buildings earliest, but it never has crawled out of the financial hole that these changes were intended to rectify. Chrysler, for a while at least, was insulated by the weight of Daimler; thus, GMC, independent and prospering remained brazen in its devotion to SUVs and trucks (and suffers for it). Nevertheless, remember that these companies reaped the rewards of these strategies for a number of years. Unfortunately, like most current economic paradigms they were unsustainable; thus, like all the sub-prime signing bonuses, profits have vanished.
First let us get some perspective. One point that I heard on a recent radio interview needs to be repeatedly stated: bankruptcy does not mean that car production will disappear and all related jobs will disappear in North America. Furthermore, it does not mean that the brands will disappear (think of Nestle, Interbrew, and the unsavoury Altria). What it means is that these companies will be purchased at a stock price for which they are deemed profitable and will be trimmed to make this a reality. Thus, the real issue revolves around pride, and American pride should not be tied to unprofitable behemoths from another era of economic evolution. They have had their day in the sun. They convinced North American governments to build roads for their cars, opposite to train companies, and instilled a mindset of the unconquerable horizon. What could be better than letting them fall to their self-appointed fate and carefully blowing on their ashes so a flaming phoenix arises?
Friday, November 28, 2008
artevo
He applied oils and resin over a copper-leafed canvas to present a landscape both stark and vivacious, one captured on a photographic plate and in amber. After meditating on the piece for some time, I met Carolyn, the Gallery's manager, who demonstrated the light's play on a similar piece using the dimmer switch. Immediately, I wished to take Trio home and experience the range of emotion and hue for myself. She also spoke about some other works, not currently on display, in which he applied oils on a silver leafed canvas:
Aguiar's years studying art and working as a restorer have held him in good stead; his innovative works embody styles ranging from engraving to spray paint art. Each piece, a sublime creation, beckons for affection and adoration.
I learnt that the remarkable glass gracing the window was the work Robert Pierini and his son, Antoine.
That they achieve such astounding effects with glass leaves viewers with little recourse: to abandon their preconceptions and embrace they mystery. You must marvel your way through their websites and see some pieces in person to really discern this. My favourites are the flacons of Robert.
It is enlightening to discover such collections in Victoria. artevo also has locations in Calgary, their flagship store, and Toronto, just opening. I have already wandered into the gallery a few times to admire the Aguiars and Pierinis; however, their collection is much more extensive. The sculptures of Ottaviani and Frost demand particular attention. I also enjoyed the Buddhas of William Edward Rees.
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Sovereignty Trumps Identity
Monday, November 24, 2008
Humanity's Power on Film
Since 1961 Amnesty International has drawn attention to countless atrocities that contravene the declaration and this weekend they commemorated the charter with their annual Film Festival. I could only attend on Saturday, but was glad I chose this day since the Pearson College choir skilfully performed a number of carols and traditional songs before the first movie. USA VS AL-ARIAN, a story which subsequently has had a happy ending (he was released), details the incarceration of Sami Al-Arian, an SFU professor and outspoken Palestinian activist. I couldn't help feeling uncomfortable with the similarity between the strong-arm tactics of Florida's judicial branch and those found in less esteemed countries. The film does a good job of presenting the facts, as much as a film can, and like any good documentary does not neglect character development. The focus of much of the film is Sami's wife, Nahla, an inspiring and authoritative figure whose story is compelling and well filmed: on one occasion, on the verge of a breakdown, she turns to the camera and states that she's a poor actress and not acting for the camera. In stark contrast his wife and family, Sami is filmed in his prison cell; however, this background does not diminish the poignancy of his sentiments. At one point he states that the government is wearing down his family to get to him; tragically no one truly realizes what he meant until a malicious judge hands him more prison time for the plea bargain he'd had signed at the urging of all his family.
After the film Andrew Wender, who gave a detailed introduction on the Patriot Act and Bush's executive orders, fostered much discussion on the film and future of the U.S. justice system: How much can change under Obama? This film was followed by Justice Without Borders, an Amnesty production, which provided a good history of the International Criminal Court and some of its successes. The film also covers fairly America's initial encouragement for the ICC and its recent reticence. The last film, My Daughter the Terrorist, was a film I was fairly sceptical of: I wasn't really in the mood for an indoctrination film like Jesus Camp, though it's excellent in its own right, or its unintended (ironically so) counterpart Obsession. Unexpectedly this film was much less about two daughters who become brainwashed suicide bombers; these women are professional soldiers who train very hard. It is very touching how the mother deals with the separation from her daughter, especially at the end where she tearfully watches the same documentary you have just watched, the closest connection to her daughter she's had in years.
Ana de Lara's latest film First Winter Last is a semi-finalist in the Migr@tions contest. (You can view and rate a number of good films from around the world that address immigration.) First Winter Last documents the experience de Lara had in coming to Canada, in which she was called a "chink." De Lara notes that coming from the Philippines she did not know what one was, but sensed it was derogatory. I felt that this part of the film which takes place at the end was overplayed and detracted from the film. Nevertheless, the beginning, especially the animation sequence, was excellent, so the film warrants its average rating of 3.5.
Ari Folman's latest, Waltz with Bashir, masterfully deals with the impact of war, here the Lebanon War. As he notes in an interview, he will have done his job if he deters youth from going to war. He purposely presents this simple message and avoids glorifying war with the spectacular animation.
On the other hand, if you require some entertaining distraction turn to A Colbert Christmas. As expected this film is witty, satirical, and full of excellent performances by Elvis Costello, Feist, Willie Nelson, Toby Keith, John Stewart and John Legend.
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Sennasational
Don't be put off by the opening text; this is a great tribute. The film opens with coverage of Ayrton in his car just before his last race, then spends some time on the crash itself, before flashing through highlights of his career. It's obvious from his demeanour and accomplishments that he was a great man, but the moment that encapsulates him best, I think, is when he pulls his car over in the middle of the race, gets out, runs to Eric Comas' car and presses the kill switch to put out the fire. The film ends with Senna's victory shouts at the 1991 Brazilian Grand Prix in which he overcame seemingly insurmountable obstacles and won with only two gears, a task that left him so exhausted he had to be lifted out of the car.
Commenting on his last qualifying session for the 1988 Monaco Grand Prix Ayrton said,
I was already on pole, then by half a second and then one second and I just kept going. Suddenly I was nearly two seconds faster than anybody else, including my team mate with the same car. And suddenly I realised that I was no longer driving the car consciously. I was driving it by a kind of instinct, only I was in a different dimension. It was like I was in a tunnel. Not only the tunnel under the hotel but the whole circuit was a tunnel. I was just going and going, more and more and more and more. I was way over the limit but still able to find even more.
Then suddenly something just kicked me. I kind of woke up and realised that I was in a different atmosphere than you normally are. My immediate reaction was to back off, slow down. I drove slowly back to the pits and I didn't want to go out any more that day. It frightened me because I was well beyond my conscious understanding. It happens rarely but I keep these experiences very much alive inside me because it is something that is important for self-preservation.”
Sunday, November 16, 2008
New faces and approaches
Saturday, November 15, 2008
Getting it Right?
While I was over there Harvey showed me some books on the Saanich Tribes, e.g., Sencoten Legends and Stories. As I flipped through them I noticed some characters and diacritical marks that I didn't recognize, so I enquired about them. Harvey pronounced some guttural sounds and a long "sh" sound. Later I reflected on these sounds. These were the sounds that I'd heard attributed to a propensity for drink when I'd first arrived in Canada. This irony stung, particularly when I'd read that seized aboriginal lands had been returned. The seizure of these lands was described as a "difficult chapter" in B.C. history. I put Last Great American Whale on repeat and wondered how much we'd really learned in the last 100 years.
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Switching Gears
There is much less information readily available on school trustees. In addition, to some coverage in local newspapers, much of it encouraging people to vote for trustees, there are a couple of sites: VLC and StrongVoices (basically a website for two candidates that have teamed up). Other information is available, but not widely disseminated, such as the Victoria Strings Program list of trustees who support music programs. Essentially there are two things to consider in evaluating a trustee: how well they can manage scarce funds and what programs they favour. Shirley Bond's cuts make it even more necessary that trustees be particularly astute. The legality of school fees is an issue that John Young has spearheaded. This labyrinthine debate is better suited to lawyers, but after some examination of the evidence, he appears to be correct.
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Obamamania
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
It Happened. What Now?
The day after the election I watched this photo essay of Obama's life, which leads to the next point: What now? This essay reinforces why Obama is such a good choice: I have repeatedly said that the Cuban Missile Crisis in the hands of most other men would have ended in annihilation. Obama is a similar case: his intellect, character, wisdom, and decisiveness are particularly suited to these difficult times. Bush has now been rendered even more irrelevant, at least now I can watch W. knowing that it is a chronicle of the past not a telling of the future.
Sunday, November 09, 2008
Calzaghe's Conquest
Tuesday, November 04, 2008
The Day the World (America) Changed
Obama also showed how capable he will be, "There will be setbacks and false starts. There are many who won't agree with every decision or policy I make as president. And we know the government can't solve every problem. But I will always be honest with you about the challenges we face. I will listen to you, especially when we disagree. And, above all, I will ask you to join in the work of remaking this nation, the only way it's been done in America for 221 years ... ." The deep concentration in his face as he spoke about the challenges facing America, made me hope that he takes some time to truly celebrate, though I'm not sure his sense of responsibility will allow that.
He also really struck a chord with me, when he acknowledged the citizens of the world: "And to all those watching tonight from beyond our shores, from parliaments and palaces, to those who are huddled around radios in the forgotten corners of the world, our stories are singular, but our destiny is shared, and a new dawn of American leadership is at hand."
Barack definitely is a Cicero and I expect that many will read and imagine his oratorical and political skills in a few millennia. Welcome to the new dawn.
Looking Good
Monday, November 03, 2008
The Big Day
Sunday, November 02, 2008
Passchendaele
Prank Call Levels Field
This was perfectly timed as some people will likely become entranced with the immigration status of Obama's aunt, given the past fascination the media had with Wright. (Where was the coverage on Parsley?) I hope voters see the slight for what it is: another notch in McCain's negative campaign. I am sure there is some similar dirt in McCain's family that could have been released.
Saturday, November 01, 2008
What's Next?
Since extemporaneous living, e.g., Gary Busey on Entourage, seems unfeasible, it's probably best just to think for oneself; that is, think about where stuff comes from and why? In Noam Chomsky vein, question everything. If you ever ask, "Do marketers really think I'll fall for this?", know they do. I should note that I am not (entirely) down on Martha Stewart Living, I enjoy and use their recipes; the features on dried bone marrow and cocktails in chemistry flasks were also redeeming. Hopefully we'll have had an Obamaween this time next year.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Reverb
Reverb plug-in