100 IN CONCERT

Inspired by a friend. Here are 100 bands/musicians I've seen in concert (in no order):

01. P J Harvey*
02. Lou Reed*
03. Patti Smith*
04. John Parish*
05. Einstürzende Neubauten*
06. Swans*
07. Nirvana*
08. Sonic Youth*
09. Jane's Addiction*
10. Pixies*
11. Redd Kross*
12. The Angels of Light*
13. A Silver Mt. Zion*
14. Godspeed You Black Emperor!
15. lowercase*
16. Imaad Wasif with Two Part Beast*
17. Pan Sonic*
18. Ryoji Ikeda*
19. Mudhoney*
20. Sugarcubes
21. Red Hot Chili Peppers*
22. Porno for Pyros
23. Giant Sand*
24. Scout Niblett*
25. Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds*
26. Dirty Three*
27. Shellac*
28. Low*
29. Cat Power*
30. The Cure*
31. Eels
32. John Cale
33. Siouxsie & the Banshees*
34. The Creatures*
35. Skinny Puppy*
36. Pigface
37. Pentagram
38. Mötley Crüe*
39. SunnO)))*
40. Earth
41. Xymox
42. Depeche Mode*
43. O.M.D.
44. Smashing Pumpkins*
45. Love & Rockets
46. Lush
47. Grandaddy*
48. Bad Religion
49. Smog*
50. Radiohead
51. Murcof
52. Michael Gira*
53. Phil Niblock
54. Blixa Bargeld
55. Kiss
56. W.A.S.P.
57. The Buck Pets
58. Apparat
59. Lusine
60. Static Static*
61. Roger O'Donnell
62. Jim O'Rourke
63. The Dead Texan
64. Thomas Fehlemann*
65. Björk
66. Devendra Banhart
67. Mouse on Mars*
68. John Parish & Polly Jean Harvey*
69. Howe Gelb*
70. Hazel Winter
71. alaska!*
72. Yeah Yeah Yeahs!
73. Laika
74. Nina Hagen*
75. Múm*
76. Morrissey
77. Sigur Rós
78. The The
79. Do Make Say Think*
80. Rachels
81. Adult.
82. Animal Collective
83. Book of Love
84. Diamanda Galas
85. Tim Hecker
86. Tracy Chapman
87. Tricky*
88. Dinosaur Jr.
89. The Wonderstuff
90. Nitzer Ebb*
91. John Zorn
92. Kim Hiorthøy
93. T. Raumschmiere
94. The Legendary Pink Dots*
95. Oranj Symphonette*
96. Sebadoh
97. Sex Gang Children*
98. Marianne Faithfull
99. New Model Army
100. OOIOO

*means I've seen them more than once

DIScourse

I'm putting this up a little late, but here's some exciting news, for me anyway.

In March, I was asked by John Parish to come up with a playlist for the Guardian UK and as of April 1 the (edited) list was published.

Guardian Playlist

Here's the complete list:

1. Scout Niblett - "Let Thine Heart Be Warned" This Fool Can Die Now

Since I was asked to create this playlist for the British based Guardian, I
wanted to start off my set with something that joins England with my city. This
is my favorite track from Bristish musician and Portland transplant, Scout
Niblett's latest LP, "This Fool Can Die Now".  This is a perfect Scout Niblett
track covering her soft and hard vocal styles with her distinctive guitar
playing and great drum beat.

2. Imaad Wasif with Two Part Beast - "Seventh Sign" Strange Hexes

Imaad Wasif is an under-appreciated guitarist and songwriter and it was hard to
chose what song from this album to put on this but I ended up choosing "Seventh
Sign" because I feel it showcases Imaads range as a musician.  This album also
is the debut for Two Part Beast, consisting of Bobb Bruno on bass and Adam
Garcia on drums, giving a great structure for Imaad to build upon.

3. Hazel Winter - "Don't Send Me Back to the Dark Place" Situation Normal Then

The third and most recent release for Bristol based musician, Hazel Winter,
"Situation Normal Then" is a nice progression from Hazel's previous albums.
What I really enjoy about this track is that retains the familiar sound of her
voice and guitar while adding some interesting instrumentation that's not often
heard in this type of music.

4. Holy Sons - "Evil Falls" Decline of the West

Another track from a Portland based musician.  This one from the prolific song
writer Emil Amos under his Holy Sons solo project.  Holy Sons is a new band for
me but I've been listening to this album a lot as of late.  Emil has a great
voice and I love how this song swells up, breaks and ends with a noise and
samples.

5. Food - "Last Supper" Last Supper

Food along with label-mate Supersilent, are responsible for getting me
interested in Jazz.  This is the final track from the 2004 album of the same
name released on the very dependable Norwegian label Rune Grammofon.  I chose
this track because I like the use of the traditional jazz instruments mixed
with electronics and vocals and I feel it's a good representation of the band.

6. Giya Kancheli - "Enimal" Exil

I found out about Georgian born, Giya Kancheli purely by chance but feel he is
a great example of a contemporary composer making meaningful works today.
"Enimal" is written around a Paul celan poem and features the perfect saprano
Maacha Deubner along with a five piece ensemble.  I love the simplicity and
sadness of this track as well as its use of silence.  Kancheli is currently
living and working in Antwerp, so now there's another reason besides diamonds,
chocolate and fashion to visit that great city.

7. Elegi - "Søvnens Kvelertak" Varde

Tommy Jansen (aka Elegi) is another new artist to me but his latest release,
"Varde" has been in constant rotation at home since its release in January.  It
tells the story of artic explores and their hardships as they trek across
barren lands.  I love how this track opens and closes creating resting places
for the listener during their travels.  I can't help but picture this being
used in a Guy Maddin film.

8. Murcof - "Cielo" Cosmos

Since 2002, Mexican born artist, Fernando Corona has consistantly been
releasing great electronic music and the 2007 release of "Cosmos" on the Leaf
label is probably my favorite to date.  The entire album is great from start to
finish (especially through headphones or a good stereo) but I really enjoy the
track progression and tempo of "Cielo" as well as Corona's use of string and
what seem to be vocal samples.  Get the triple vinyl edition while you can.

9. COH - "No Monsters No Rock (Part I - Mezzo Forte Passionato) Strings

I have been listening to Ivan Pavlov (aka COH) since the his 20' to 2000
release on Rasten Noton.　The full length album, "Strings" was released in 2007
and is broken into three parts that relate to the artists personal history and
experience with music.  The second part, "No Monsters No Rock" is based on
Pavlov's time playing in a Russian heavy metal band.  The main instrument is
his old Russian guitar but the composition has been filtered through the
musicians current interest in electronics.

10. Ester Brinkmann - "Mimesis" Totes Rennen

Thomas Brinkmann and his side project, Ester Brinkmann, are responsible for
opening the door to minimalist techno music for me.  "Totes Rennen" was the
first album to be released under the Ester Brinkmann monicker and dates from
1998, but I keep going back to it.  Brinkmann is a master at creating
infectuous rhythms and "Mimesis" is no exception.  Building on a study beat
Brinkmann starts to gradually layer in glitches, noise, and even samples from
philosophic recordings.

11. Einstuerzende Neubauten - "Grundstueck: GS 1" Grundstueck

This is my favorite recent recording by the pioneers of industrial music.
Recorded and released to only to supporters during Phase II of their online
music experiment, "Grundstueck" is proof that albums can benefit from the
absence of record executives.  This song is a great example of Blixa Bargeld's
writing and vocal style, while also showcasing the bands expertise in creating
new sounds using scrap metal, PVC piping, de-tuned instruments and various
other unusual sound sources. The song also feature a 100+ person choir largely
made up of the online supporters. It is the beginning of a bigger piece, but
stands up on its own.

12. Ryoji Ikeda - "Data.Reflex" Dataplex

Ryoji Ikeda is primarily responsible for getting me interested in minimalist
electronic music and multimedia installations.  It's hard to choose one track
from his multitude of releases for inclusion on this list since his music,
while all related, varies quite a bit.  However, I chose "Data.Reflex" from the
2005 "Dataplex" album since it is a good representation of how Ikeda approaches
his compositions.  Created purely from data the piece is like walking through a
supercomputer and being able to see the information being sent and received.
While some people may find Ikeda's music to be hard to listen to I always feel
like my mind is more clear after listening to his recordings.

13. Pan Sonic - "Arktinen/Arctic" Kesto (234.48:4)

This is my favorite track from Pan Sonic's lenghty discography and was the
final track on the disc two of Mika Vainio and Ilpo Väisänen's 2004 mammoth
four cd release, "Kesto (234.48:4)".  By mixing Ilpo Väisänen's rhythmic
minimalism with Vainio's darker aesthetic of glitches, noise and loops, this
track is a great example of how two artists with different styles can create
something wonderful.

14. Bohren & Der Club of Gore - "Unkerich" Dolores

Bohren & Der Club of Gore is another new band for me although they have
officially been around since 1986.  "Dolores", their most recent full length,
was released at the end of 2008 and I've been listening to it quite often.
With "Unkerich" this jazz band has created a wonderfully mysterious atmosphere.
I can picture Agent Cooper listening to this in the Black Lodge.

15. The Gentleman Losers - "Silver Mountain" The Gentleman Losers

Like Pan Sonic, The Gentleman Losers are also a Finnish duo, but that's where
the comparison stops.  This 2006 self titled release is the debut from the
brothers, Ville and Samu Kuukka, and is primarily based around acoutsic guitar,
organ and synthesizer.  I chose "Silver Mountain" because it feels very
hopeful, as if you're traveling down a road at sunset, headed towards a better
place, hopefully, a place with a follow-up album by these musicians.

NOW

Getting ready for adventures!!!

DIScourse - Returns

Wow!  I cannot believe I've neglected my blog for so long.  If my blog was an egg pretending to be a baby, or dog, it would be dead by now.  I'm sorry little blog, I didn't mean to kill you, I just got preoccupied with life.

I've been listening to a lot of great music lately: most importantly, the new PJ Harvey and John Parish album that will be released at the end of the month, I've also been listening to a lot of 20th century composers: the amazing Schönberg Ensemble Edition 25 CD box set, 50 Years of New Music in Darmstadt compilation, and the Rückblick Moderne box set, as well as couple versions of Stravinsky's Rite of Spring.  Some other stuff I've been listening to is the latest Holy Sons lp, a Bessie Smith dbl lp I found and various other things that have been shuffling through my ipod.

After a long dry spell, I have started a few new art projects.  One project will be a multimedia piece based on self identity and I hope to eventually get a show for it.  The second project is a series of pen & ink drawings that deal with repetition.  After so many years of doing almost everything on a computer, it's really great to actually pick up a pen and draw on actual paper.  What a concept!

I'm also in the embryonic stages of setting up a website for a new art/social movement to embrace the times we are in and the possibilities of the future.  These are tough times in a lot of ways but in many ways they present a lot of opportunities, but we aren't going to do anything if we all just stop, or if we dwell on the past and the "what ifs".  We have a new President (one that I can proudly claim, for once) and we have the future, and with that we should focus on positive changes.  I don't want to really say anything else at this point because the idea is still developing and I don't really know what it will become.  I do hope that it will encompass many people and many fields.  I will make an announcement when there is more to say.

I've been watching too much television and I have to say when HD is available and working is does look fantastic.  I've also started watching the complete first season of Saturday Night Live (Patti Smith in '76 is something to see!), which makes me remember my childhood and reminds me how much I miss Gilda Radner.  In addition to that box set I've been watching the Neon Genesis Evangelion Platinum Edition. I was never one to be into animation with robots and fighting but this is a great anime series and worth watching.  It also looks much better on DVD than it did on the original VHS tapes that I watched years ago.

I leave for Japan in a few days, on what will be my sixth trip to Tokyo.  I'm really looking forward to seeing my friends there and hopefully making new friends.  After a few days in Tokyo I'll head north to Sendai, which I've never seen but have been wanting to for awhile.  I'll celebrate my birthday in Sendai and then fly to LA to see more friends and attend the PJ Harvey and John Parish concert at El Rey.  It's been a long time since I saw John perform and the new album is fantastic, so I expect nothing but excellence at the show.  It will be nice to spend some time with John in LA too, since he's more familiar with the city than I am.  I'm sure it's changed a lot since 1992 when I was there last.

I've started Twitter and LinkedIn accounts as well, if any of you want to find me on those sites.

That's all for now.  -Dis

DIScourse

It's Sunday and I'm in Rotterdam since Monday is a National Holiday in Belgium and everything will be closed tomorrow. Unfortunately, I didn't really think about it and all the galleries and museums are closed in Rotterdam tomorrow.

Friday was a good day for me in Antwerp though. I mailed the current issue of Plazm magazine to Ann Demeulemeester's publicist in Paris and it looks like I may actually get to interview her for the forthcoming issue of Plazm. After going to the post office on my lunch break I rode my bike to the Demeulemeester boutique to see if there was anything left from the sales that I "needed" to get. Surprisingly there were still things left in size XS but I was a little disappointed that everything was still only 30% off. While I was there I was speaking to some of the staff and one person mentioned that they are looking for another sales person for the store and that he thought I would fit. While sales are not really my strong point, the employees at the shop also help with the runway shows, sales, etc in the company which seems really exciting to me. Anyway, immediately all these thoughts went swimming arounf in my head and I was trying to figure out a way that I could come back to Antwerp and work for Demeulmeester in case the job at Theo doens't work out. While I was in the store I also heard a John Parish song from his new album which made me really happy since I don't hear his music in public very often and I always like hearing music from friends.

When I got back to work after lunch I had an email from Vice magazine in my mailbox. I'm really not sure how they found me or why they wanted to contact me but it appears that they've seen my website and this blog. So, who knows if anything will come of it but it's nice that my website and blog are being viewed by people other than close friends and family.

Friday after work I went to STAN salon for a cut and color, my second since arriving in Antwerp and most likely the last time during this stay. I went for a shorted cut and got rid of the purple-ish red in favor of brown and black. As always it was a good experience and afterwards I was asked if I'd like to be a hair model for the salon. Of course I'd do it but I originally thought they'd just want me to come in and to be photographed but apparently they do a photo shoot or show twice a year and I might not be in Antwerp during the next shoot.

New Hair

After I was finished at the salon I called my American friend, whos sister was visting from Montana, and her husband came to pick me up for dinner at their home in Mortsel. So, we had a nice evening eating some of the seasons first mosselen (mussels), listening to music, drinking wine, having conversation and watching a great version of the "Ice Ice Baby" video.

Saturday was a pretty uneventful day. I slept in and when I woke up it was raining. I made and ate breakfast then watched some television and went grocery shopping. When I got home I fell asleep again. Later when I woke up it was still raining and I got dressed. By the time I was dressed it had cleared up and I decided to go back to the Demeulemeester shop. Half way there I got caught in a thunderstorm and downpour. I had my umbrella with me but still got soaked up to my knees. When I got to the shop the pair of pants I was thinking of getting had been sold. I tried on another pair of pants but decided that I should wait to see the fall collection before I bought anymore clothes. I also had brought in a jacket that I'd bought in Tokyo a year or so ago and had it marked for alterations. In the shop there was a blackened silver necklace/belt/bracelet from last fall that I'd been looking at that was still in the case and I decided I was something I "needed" especially since I couldn't get the necklace I saw in NY (which I still want). So, I got the accessory and went on my way home.

I ended up deciding not to do anything Saturday night since I didn't want to be tired for my trip to Rotterdam.

This morning I woke up really early and watched cartoons on television. It was my first time seeing the Smurfs (den Smurfen) on television in Belgium but it was some new version with a grandpa Smurf (he had yellow pants) and Gargamel had a boy assistant who I don't remember seeing. One thing that crossed my mind that had never crosses it before in my years of watching cartoons, is how do the Smurfs keep their shoes and pants so white even though they are walking on dirt and grass most of the time? If anyone knows the answer to this I'd like to know.

Rotterdam

I got to the train station about 1:00 and bought my tickets for Rotterdam but I has some time to kill to I had my first Belgian waffle from a cart and a cip of black coffee. The train to Rotterdam only takes an hour from Antwerp so I was at my hotel by 3:15. I put my things, plugged in my computer (€22.00 for 24 hours of internet) then went out to explore the city a little. Rotterdam seems much larger than Antwerp but it's a very new city having been bombed in the WWII. That said there is a lot of boring if not ugly architecture in the city. However, most of my favorite furniture/product design and architecture is coming from Rotterdam or the Netherlands in general, so things are getting better here. I noticed a lot more contemporary public in the city as well.

Rotterdam





















Since it's Sunday most shops are closed and the ones that were open today were closed by the time I got to them. I did manage to make it to a couple of small galleries and found a restaurant to have dinner at. After dinner, I walked around some more and ended up walking through a park before going back to the hotel.

Het Park





















So, now it's 11:00 and I'm watching The Gathering on television. Tomorrow I'm hoping to make it to some shops and if all goes well, to a couple studios of designers I like. In the evening I'm planning to meet a friend of a friend before I head back to Antwerp.