Nov 30, 2014
Nov 24, 2014
Liz Maher reviews Viv Albertine's Clothes, Clothes, Clothes. Music, Music, Music. Boys, Boys, Boys
By Liz Maher for Stupefaction
Viv Albertine, original Slit girl and It girl of the 70’s London punk scene, long before the Kates and the Caras, has released her memoir CLOTHES, CLOTHES, CLOTHES. MUSIC, MUSIC, MUSIC. BOYS, BOYS, BOYS. (Thomas Dunne, on sale 11/25) The title comes from Albertine's long suffering mother’s exasperated summation of Albertine’s autoelectic description. Mother Albertine nailed it. Fortunately, Albertine grew up impoverished in the UK council estates (you know, the staircases and hallways are on the outside like at an Eileen Warnos era Florida motor court) instead of the USA where she could have easily have taken the ubiquitous mall rat turn. Thus charming transcends annoying. Malcolm McLaren and Viv Westwood’s frock shop, Sex, was Viv’s university and family, and they used her without mercy. The Diane Lane film based on Viv and her mates, Ladies and Gentlemen the Fabulous Stains, missed that part.
Albertine’s memoir does more than reminisce about her days as guitarist of the pioneering female punk bands (The Slits, The Flowers of Romance, and Flying Lizards), it tells a coming of age story which also serves as a historical insider’s guide to London’s early punk scene. The Slits served as female counterparts to The Clash - touring with them and The Buzzcocks and opening for The Sex Pistols. Declaring herself a feminist throughout the book, Albertine eschewed the traditional groupie/girlfriend role women - think Bebe Buell, Uschi Obermaier (my brother’s fave), Pamela Des Barres – women who also obtained a measure of agency through a more traditional and outwardly submissive role. Instead she immersed herself into the music scene as a musician and artist and uninhibited public persona who redefined her identity to embrace the world beyond the council flats. What Albertine might actually mean by “feminist” seems to be an autodidactic sense of rejecting the role of the abject and being assigned to ontological irrelevance. A plaster caster, she was not.
Admittedly she could not actually play guitar when she started out but that was part of punk’s search for the arche blues energy and its charm as an arresting fairy tale in the age of disco, self-absorption and Silver Jubilee commorative tea sets. Obsessed with having the perfect look and band cred, she eventually learned to play power chords. On the side she dated The Clash’s Mick Jones, inspiring the song Train In Vain, and Johnny Thunders (who I remember watching on stage wedged in between two speakers, drunk out of my mind at age 13,) was Sid Vicious’s BFF and ran with Chrissie Hynde and Siouxie Sioux.
Albertine offhandedly stakes her claim to setting the Doc Martin with minis, shrunken dress and taped torn stocking trends and Sid started the safety pin thing. More accurately, it happened around McDowell and Westwood’s boutique on Portobello Road and they glommed onto the trend and pushed the merch. At one point Albertine mentions her influence on 15-year old Slit’s bandmate Ari Up (RIP, Johnny Lydon’s daughter in law and creative msifit). Later she served as role model for Sleater-Kinney, Carrie Brownstein, Courtney Love and Kurt Cobain through the phylogenic persistence of her “mosquito guitar” sound). If that is not enough, her analysis of Sid Vicious’ handwriting alone makes it worth reading. I had always wondered about graphology and the creative process. In Sid’s case he was a sensitive slob, behind his – um – public image.
In keeping with the brevity of punk tracks averaging under 3 minutes, Albertine’s writes in speedy, two page per chapter bursts, a roman a clef version in the vein of Dashiel Hammnet, James McElroy and the 30 Second Bunnies ‘tunes. She takes the reader through a treacle flavored tour of her life from her first memories as a child immigrating from Australia to an dodgy life in England, growing up in an abusive broken home, coming of age on the cusp of punk rock’s development in the UK, attending art school hoping to follow in the footsteps of Ray Davies, too many boyfriends, battles with addiction, cancer and personal demons. Albertine experiences more in three chapters than most people experience in a lifetime. In short a Scholastic Books type morality tale for the middle –aged. Albertine writes about a lot of sexual harassment which she doesn’t feel the need to call out thereby making a stronger statement. She muses wistfully upon Joe Strummer’s lack of loyalty to his bandmate Mick Jones as Strummer “pesters (her) to sleep with him” despite his rotting teeth and overbearing political naiveté. Strummer wasn’t the only Clash member to solicit her. On the other hand, Vicious is portrayed as the eternal gentleman, if gentlemen spit, curse and start fights.
The Albertine-Jones relationship is complicated. It starts out with her whining to Jones about another
boy she's shagging after which he asks her on a date. With no effort or intention on her part, it progresses to a thing with Albertine reluctant to publicly acknowledge the romance (on the surface not conform to societal expectations but really because she didn’t want to hurt her chance with other boys.) Their love is challenged by Jones’ jealousy, a lonely abortion, more jealousy from Jones, Jones’ infidelity leading to VD for VA and finally ends with his blowing Albertine off after she won’t have sex with him will dealing with depression. She really should have gone with Thunders, possibly the only larger narcissist on the scene.
CMB is sectioned into two parts: Side One (young Viv) and Side Two (Middle Aged Viv). Side Two brings to mind the Arctic Monkeys’ anthem Fluorescent Adolescent of a woman who “used to get it in your fishnets, now you only get it in your night dress.” Part Two has our heroine trying to remain relevant by attempting re-create her band, teaching aerobics and taking a sort-of traditional job. Cancer, divorce, aging and loneliness enter but Albertine doesn’t let that or any man get her down. Albertine presents as not overly self-conscipus of her own talent. She is very skilled at showing things with her writing without having to state it, a sure sign of someone who never fit in. Her refusal to submit to undermining statements from male mouths is pronounced a bit too often and loud, we got the point. However, it is appreciated and maybe does need to be pronounced, discussed and chanted like a battle cry. It all ends on an uptick with Albertine counting her blessings and again her determination that no man will break her spirit. Albertine soundtracks her whole life in an appendix at the end, omitting the Arctic Monkeys. Let's say she lost her groove after 1981.
CMB is a great read/gift for both punk-o-philes and young women who these days identify with strong heroines (i.e. Katniss Everdeen.) There are a few cringe-worthy sex scenes in the book but they are so strained and uncomfortable they are more likely to promote abstinence than promiscuity. Vivian Albertine, you will never become a fixture in the Victoria & Albert, but her exegesis will be referenced in the catalogue.
Nov 22, 2014
Before & After: Don't Look Back
Before - John Lee Hooker (1964)
During - Them (1965)
After - John Lee Hooker & Van Morrison (1997)
Nov 21, 2014
Nov 19, 2014
Skateboard Art Helps Kids in Small Texas Town Find Their Inner Weird
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| Left to right: Andy Vastaugh, Delicious Design League. |
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| Left to right: Will Johnson, Panhandle Slim, Tim Kerr. |
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| Left to right: Matt Groening, Paul Imagine, Rob Jones. |
Nov 18, 2014
Danceteria: The Beginning and the End
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| February 1982 |
Well, sort of the beginning... this was for the opening on West 21st Street. The club's second, but much more well known & established location.
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| July 1986 |
It was time. Thanks to John Argento for the images.
Ride and the Pop Group announce US shows for 2015
Some day here...both the Pop Group (who have played here but not extensively), and Ride (the Creation band who are just reforming after nearly 20 years apart, but played here a bit during their initial go 'round) both announced US dates for next year. I'm happy to hear about them both!
Via the Ride mailing list comes this:
UK, European and North American Dates in 2015 including Field Day and Primavera Festival Headliner Performances. Tickets on sale Friday 21 November.
Ride will play a UK tour that will kick off at Glasgow Barrowland Ballroom on Friday 22 May 2015 and will also include Manchester's Albert Hall and The Roundhouse in London, before heading to Europe to play Amsterdam, Paris and Barcelona's Primavera Festival on 29 May. The band will then head across the Atlantic to play Toronto and New York - and then back to the UK to headline Field Day on Sunday 7 June.
Tickets are on sale Friday 21 November from www.RideMusic.net (for the UK shows, tickets on sale from 9.00am).
Tour Dates:
22 May 2015 Barrowland Ballroom Glasgow, UK
23 May 2015 Albert Hall Manchester, UK
24 May 2015 Roundhouse London, UK
26 May 2015 Paradiso Amsterdam, Holland
27 May 2015 Olympia Paris, France
29 May 2015 Primavera Festival Barcelona, Spain
02 June 2015 DanForth Music Hall Toronto, Canada
04 June 2015 Terminal 5 New York, US
07 June 2015 Field Day London, UK
And a couple of months prior to Ride's NYC show, the Pop Group will be over for their busiest US trip ever. This includes 2 NYC shows, as well as Austin for SxSW, and a handful of major market stops:
03/10/2015 Los Angeles CA – Echoplex - http://ticketf.ly/1uewMfE
03/11/2015 San Francisco CA – Great American Music Hall - www.gamhtickets.com
03/12/2015 Seattle WA – Neumos Crystal Ball Reading Room - http://bit.ly/119pu2o
03/13/2015 Chicago IL - venue TBA
03/14/2015 Toronto ON – Lee’s Palace - http://ticketf.ly/1BxbtfO
03/16/2015 Brooklyn NY – Rough Trade - www.roughtradenyc.com
03/17/2015 New York NY – Bowery Ballroom - http://bit.ly/1xrv0vt
Nov 17, 2014
Nov 15, 2014
Citywide: James Chance, James Brown, Punk, Funk and the Free Jazz Connection
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| James Chance at CBGB by Eugene Merinov |
As a sort of sister piece to James Chance's recent guest DJ spot on WNYU's Shake 'Em On Down, he also sat down with the station's Micah Loewinger, and discussed some of his musical influences - specifically James Brown, and the point where punk met funk via free jazz - on the show Citywide. James' interview is the first half of the show.
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| James Brown |
Nov 13, 2014
Richard Hell presents Ariana Reines this Friday
Come and get your mind busted, your body dizzed, and have some laughs with Ariana Reines this Friday.
Richard will first interview her onstage, supplemented by multi-media
illustration, and then Ariana will read/perform for 45 minutes or an
hour. There will be an exclusive Ariana-signed, limited-edition
broadside giveaway for all attendees too.
Night Out with Richard Hell
in the Thalia Theater at Symphony Space
2537 Broadway, NYC
Get tickets at here
Next up, filmmaker KELLY REICHARDT, Thu 4 Dec, 2014 -
Kelly, the acclaimed director of five features so far will be presenting her filmic apotheosis to date, the astonishing 2011 Meek's Cutoff, a western unlike any prior, as much like Robert Bresson as John Ford.
Read A.O. Scott's NY Times review of the movie here
Tickets: here
In the winter, DONALD CUMMING, Thu 12 Feb, 2015 -
Along
with Karen O. and Julian Casablancas, D. is one of the most innately
talented NYC rock and roll/pop musician/singer/songwriters to come up in
the aughts--he founded and led the Virgins 2007-2013, and will have a
new solo album out just about the time of the "Night Out" event.
See him with the Virgins as filmed by Ryan McGinley here
Tickets: here
In the spring, Jayson Musson (a/k/a Hennessy Youngman), Fri 3 April, 2015 - Details coming soon...
Nov 11, 2014
Nov 10, 2014
I FOUGHT THE LAW: The Life and Strange Death of Bobby Fuller coming soon!
A new bio on Texas native, Bobby Fuller, by Miriam Linna & Randell Fuller, will be hitting bookshelves soon courtesy of Kicks Books. They'll be throwing a book launch party on Dec. 5. Be sure to visit their blog for the scoop. There's also info there for the Norton Records Holiday Spectacular 2014 which takes place the same weekend.
Nov 7, 2014
Movie of the Week: Garth Hudson Returns to Big Pink After 46 Years with Rolling Stone
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| Garth Hudson |
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| The new Basement Tapes |
Its not not often I get to tip my cap to Rolling Stone magazine, but in this case I definitely have to. This short film of instrumentalist, Garth Hudson (who still lives in the area), returning to the house where he was a part of rock mythology with his fellow members of The Band and Bob Dylan, is a gorgeous & touching piece of work.
The house itself, located between Woodstock & Saugerties in New York State, about 100 miles from New York City, is really nothing to look at. Every time I've ever taken someone to see it, I always feel like its a bit anti-climactic. Its really just another somewhat run down house in the woods. The interior looks much better than I imagined seeing it through the camera lens, and with some music flowing through it, it becomes a magical place.
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| The Band in front of Big Pink by Elliott Landy |
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| The real Basement Tapes! |
Nov 6, 2014
James Chance & The Contortions BUY to see deluxe vinyl reissue in early 2015 on Futurismo
Word just in from the UK: The Futurismo label will be reissuing the Contortions BUY album in a deluxe 180 gram vinyl edition in early 2015!
What they say: Come contort yourself…the New York No Wave classic from the CONTORTIONS
is back! It’s just over 35 years since James Chance first assaulted turntables with the juddering jazz punk fusion that permeate the tracks immortalised on BUY. Continued here.
is back! It’s just over 35 years since James Chance first assaulted turntables with the juddering jazz punk fusion that permeate the tracks immortalised on BUY. Continued here.
Futurismo Facebook
Futurismo Tumblr
Nov 5, 2014
Nov 4, 2014
New records on eBay!
I have plenty of interesting items going up in the eBay store.
Please visit Stupefaction Music today!
Les Pattinson (Echo & the Bunnymen) collection up for auction Nov. 15
Former Echo & The Bunnymen bassist, Les Pattinson, is auctioning off a bevy of things, and bidding begins November 15. Items include ephemera, photographs, clothing and plenty of musical gear. See the list here, and watch the video below.
Shot By: Jacob Blickenstaff
Dr. John by Jacob Blickenstaff: These photos and many others can be found on Jacob's recently launched website, 33 1/3 Photography. He's definitely one of the hipper music shutterbugs working today.
Nov 2, 2014
Listen to James Chance's DJ set on WNYU now!
In case you missed James Chance's recent appearance on WNYU's Shake 'Em On Down, the show is now archived & streamable. He played a hell of a set. Listen to the entire thing here.
- James Brown "Super Bad Parts 1, 2, and 3" Super Bad (King) LP 1971
- Dizzy Jones "I Don't Care" The Godfather's R& B - James Brown Productions 1962-67 (BGP Records) CD 2008
- Marva Whitney "I Made a Mistake" Live and Lowdown at the Apollo (King) LP 1969
- The Rhythm Machine "The Kick" The Funky 16 Corners (Stones Throw) CD 2001
- Dyke And The Blazers "Stuff" So Sharp! (Kent) CD 1991
- Dynamic Corvettes "Keep Off The Grass" Funky Sex Machines (Soul Patrol) LP 2009
- James Chance And Les Contortions "Home Is Where The Hatred Is" Incorrigible! (Le Son Du Maquis) CD 2011 {Gil Scott-Heron cover.}
- Bobby & Deborreh Williams "The Pusher’s Thang" Ancestors of Rap (Tramp) CD 2012
- Lightnin' Rod "Sport" Hustlers Convention (United Artists) LP 1973
- Ann Alford "Gotta Get Me a Job" SuperFunk (Ace) CD 2000 {Originally released in 1971.}
- Harvey Scales "Broadway Freeze" Stax Of Funk. The Funky Truth (BGP Records) CD 2000
- Aalon Butler & the New Breed Band "Gettin' Soul Part 1" (Tramp) 7" 2013
- Junior & The Classics "Kill the Pain" (Magic Touch) 7"
- The Young Rascals "Love Is a Beautiful Thing" Collection (Atlantic) LP 1967
- The Rationals "Little Girls Cry" Be Rational! (Ace) CD 2009
- Mitch Ryder And The Detroit Wheels "I Had it Made" Breakout…!!! (New Voice Records) LP 1966
- Earl Bostic "Time on My Hands" C'mon And Dance With Earl Bostic (King) LP 1956
- LaVern Baker "Trying" The Uncollected LaVern Baker (Royale) CD {Originally released in 1962}
- Dinah Washington "I Wanna Be Loved" Queen of the Jukebox "Live" 1948-1955 (Baldwin Street Music) CD 2000 {Recorded at Birdland, July 21, 1951.}
- Little Jimmy Scott "If You Only Knew" The Savoy Years & More... (Savoy Jazz) CD 1999 {Originally released in 1956.}
- Big Maybelle "I Could Make You Care" Ladies Sing The Blues - Volume 2 (Savoy) CD 1981
- James Chance And Les Contortions "Yesterdays" Incorrigible! (Le Son Du Maquis) CD 2011
- Billie Holiday "Yesterdays" Strange Fruit (Atlantic) CD 1972
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