It took me four years to see Magnolia Electric Company (MECo). I had bought What Comes After the Blues (Secretly Canadian, 2005) and Didn’t It Rain (Filed under “Songs:Ohia” with Secretly Canadian, 2002) in the Summer of 2005 before heading off to Columbus. Both albums struck deep chords in me, and since that introduction, I have laid hands on just about everything in the MECo/Songs:Ohia catalog. My chance to see MECo finally arrived whilst they have set about their most ambitious tour since 2007, fast on the release of their new LP “Josephine” (Secretly Canadian, 2009). Having got to spend a little bit of time before the show at soundcheck, little did I imagine I would hear MECo. launch into the hot Austin night with the high lonesome “An Arrow in the Gale”, swan song on the Josephine LP ending with the lines—“Which of us is free Josephine? Now in the time I have become a MECo fan, I have seen school days come and go, seen separation, buried family, handled an estate, lost all my property to vandals, been shot, moved three times, only to get a divorce and move cross country—which goes to say, as Molina puts it in “Leave The City” (What Comes After the Blues, 2005) —it was a hard time that I’ve come through…it’s made me thankful for the blues.” These are hard words to listen to if you dont know what it means, and difficult earn—if you can know it. Altogether, impossible to fathom the dignity of—without hearing it in Molina’s soulful iambic tremelo vocals. I get it that people think MECo are Americana/Blues aspirants, but two distinctions must be made—Americana is American roots, not just delta and chicago blues, but Ohio/Virginian and Kentucky too. Molina being an Ohia expatriate, its honest, and the man is direct and sincere off stage as much as on stage. Second, MECo aint genre blues—and testament to this fact—is keyboardist Mike Brenner’s funky carny fingering on “Little Sad Eyes” —which sent a visible wiggle through the crowd while stashed bottles began to appear and people pushed forward to the stage until they were 3 feet from the MECo guitar strings. At this point two more questions came to mind—one, how would MECo manage the handheld-radio engineered sax laid down on “O’Grace” sans a sax section? Second, what, if anything would we hear from the back catalog, between the sheets of MECo and Molina’s solo work? The answer to the first question came with Brenner’s keyboarding on “O’Grace” which filled the composition so well, it must have been an alternate take at some point. The answer to the second question began to unfold as MECo took right away into a searing rendition of “The Dark Don’t Hide” —which in all the live versions I have heard—cannot be matched by seeing it in person—“Something held me down and made me make a promise/ That I wouldnt tell if the truth forgets about us”. Forward, when in Texas—2-step, so hot off the rails of “The Dark Don’t Hide It” MECo laid down a beautiful version of the mournful “Shenandoah”, and I did 2-step, if only for a few bars, with a beautful dark haired spanish woman who had already had had too much to drink barely five songs in—“There’s just so much a man can miss/And just no end to what he can regret”. Shifting pace again, MECo moved into “Leave the City”, aforementioned favorite—and a Spanish flavored honky-tonk rambler that live, left me and the crowd howling as Molina finished “Baby both of us have had enough.” Now to the quasi-arcane material—”Hard to Love a Man” recorded with Jennie Benford on the What Comes After the Blues LP highlighted what MECo are capable of vocally as they delivered it without leaving any unintended space in rendition, no small feet, the track full of quiet. If you don’t own the Sojouner Box Set (Secretly Canadian, 2007), then two tracks from the set might have left you wondering—a track entitled “What Comes after the Blues” a country/waltz driver from the Nashville Moon LP that presses so hard into the dirt, Molina’s gospel roots show right through—“Now Noah must have had a lot of room on the ark/ For all of them broken hearts/Stay with me now old crimson pal / Pain like this will even outlive the dark.” “Shiloh” from Josephine followed, itself a re-working of “Shiloh Temple Bell” from the Shahola LP of the Sojourner Box Set— another gem that lends credence to the fact that MECo aren’t playing from their musical heroes, but playing alongside them. Jason cursing Austin’s condo curtained noise ordinance before saying goodbye, MECo ended the night with a cover of Warren Zevon’s “Lawyers Guns and Money” and played it with sass that easily makes it a choice for a future live compilation. 10 songs, 5 new, 4 older and re-imagined and one cover worthy of a live cut. All, worth the wait.
If you’ve waited, dont read the critics, just take this as notice of what to prepare before arriving. Buy and listen to, Jospehine. Repeatedly, you’ll be rewarded by being able to appreciate the little things. Stash your flask and be sure to bring enough to share. Hit the ATM for $50 cash so you can buy a MECo poster designed by a local artist just for tour stop ($10) and to purchase the Sojourner Box set($40)—which, you can get signed on the spot. Plan on being three feet from MECo and the band members saying hello. Get there early enough to see The Donkeys and The Monohans, they play their hearts out. Leave ready to check back over the catalog, and last but not least, between now and when you go, make a donation to the Evan Farrell Memorial Fund, former MECo. bassist who died in December 2007 —and whose influence and spirit loom large on the Josephine LP, the intense tours schedule and Magnolia Electric Co’s live show.
For a complete listing of Magnolia Electric Company 2009/2010 tour dates, Click here
Random House worked with Lessig to release this book via creative commons. Great primer on rights, copyright and the relationship between innovation and analytical endeavors, what is ours and what is theirs.
I have been usuing this text for a OSU course on technology and education, quick read, brings copyright, copyleft and copy-less issues into context. More on the class, other works we are usuing sometime soon. So—hit this link to get the PDF e-book(1.25MB). Yours to share and attribute according to Creative Commons License.
February 2008 edition will launch on Sunday Feb 8 when we will continue and expand our feature of Scot Kaplan’s film and visual works and present a selection of writings from Poet Jerry Judge. Look for more news as we work along this week and on the features…
In the bustle of news coverage over the past four days one thing struck me me as I listened to Obama before the inauguration—that artists arts education —and are vital to civic life and social renewal. I cannot find the actual quote or the actual video —but I would encourage you to try cable news sites, perhaps Hulu looking for reels from early Monday evning. Regardless of source, as I have it—Obama was reiterating a commitment to the arts along the lines of three key priorities:
1. Expanding public/private partnerships between schools and arts organizations
2. Creating an Artists Corps
3. Publicly championing the importance of arts education
Now, we have to go back to Kennedy to hear someone in Obama’s position explicitly define and champion the idea that artists and the arts play an indispensable role in civic life. Backwards from there—we have to go back to the 40’s and 50’s to see anything approaching Obama’s open armed welcome to creators and authenticators of the human experience. In my time as an educator, a student, an artist, a publisher and a public servant—I have never heard such a fearless affirmation of the arts from without the arts community—and it never made sense to me as my grandparents home, and the theater in my home town featured works from that long ago era. It neither made sense why a dialogue has not been maintained in my time as our greatest national artifacts are the words of poets, cloth cut by designers, halls chiseled by masons imagined by architects—not to mention the phonograph, the microchip and the transformation of an arid godforsaken place called California. I believe anyone would be hard pressed to find a society that more so requires creativity and determination—to advance its ideals and meet its greatest challenges. Personally, I applaud President Obama’s willingness to assert a vision and an appreciation for the arts in civic life—not as it was the easy thing to say—or the right thing to want to do, but, because the wisdom is discrete and its merit, affordable.
The image that help mobilize the history brought about today—was crafted by Shepard Fairey, a geurilla artist who required little more than paper, ink, gluten and a venue in unclaimed spaces to execute its delivery. The message is simple and powerful —”Hope”. I have heard many denigrate its simplicity by claiming its appeal is emotional while lacking substance, but I beg to differ understanding a the history of political art this work arrives after. Fairey’s work transcends the affective to strike a chord—as the use of colors red and blue simplifies the face of a man inspired to transcend a treacherous and virulent national dialogue by aiming to chart a new course with all his worth. How fitting it is then, that our feature at this moment in history is Scot Kaplan, an artist who agitates discussion about the location of the commons—and asking us to evaluate space. Indeed, Fairey and Kaplan both renew confidence that artists can satisfy more than those with a for anomie and its spectacle, in sharp contrast, can in fact, nourish purpose and meaning. It is my hope, that when we awake tomorrow—we will do so with a confidence seemingly lost generations ago—that we are rightful custodians and heirs to the idea that civic life is void without the efforts of innovators. That there is no greater canvas or venue we could aspire to—than to secure the story of this time to speak for ourselves and our world—as history has always required—and now insist, we must.
semantikon is pleased to announce that cara walz will be out March/April 2009 visual art feature, more news on cara and her work coming soon, until, be sure to check out her online gallery at www.carawalz.com
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Semantikon is happy to announce we have made plans to schedule another visual artist for 2009, Hilary Hilario. Look for more news as we develop this feature…
So, I gathered together the works for the edition, and waiting for me is Mark Flanigan’s new piece, “Self Portrait (Out of the Emptiness)” . Reading and formatting at the same time, I moved across nearly two decades of keeping up with Flangian—author, editor, performance artist, journalist, poet, musician, VOLK and semantikon organizer—and now, when semantikon would seem disarrayed and crestfallen, Flanigan is delivering a new moment—drawing a connection with the spaces between them. a song shared, a mirror clear.
Self Portrait…echoes the breadth of 17 years as I have read, heard and seen Flanigan move— “On the Bus” (the early 90’s) a surealistic dreamscape flourescent lit and flickering across the city as he travels honest, situated by his own best and worst intentions in ways—few others i know are able to summon. I have traveled along side him in the time since “Out of the Nest“, agitated him to convert his laundry day poetic meditations—what he calls “minute poems”, to shape them into book form and have also danced the salmon dance with him. In the time since we have started, I have listened as he has kept his own counsel—-and good council about the scope of journalism for his own generation while iot has been no small matter he has done so, having medicated himself with self-help indiscretions to forge Exile /d across the longitude of two publications, and now it seems clear, as Exile/d moves into its fourth epoch. Linking Flangian’s work on the site, you can find the gristle and see where he moves and how he moves more easily now— two features (one, two), his guest editor slot , his eBook “Minute Poems” all spoken for in Self Portrait(Out of the Emptiness). Presence and negotiations with, damnation, stories of empty barstools where he seats wrinkled ghost and wrinkled sheets instead of lonely nights, intrigues, promises and their hangovers, stock and movement, a bright empty warehouses full of scrap paper, chalk and packet of bic pens. A seat at the second floor window—taunting anyone to ask him to fall out to join the story’s arc.
Common criticism of Flanigan’s work that there are too many names, places and interlopers for all of it make sense—it’s “self-loathing” and “it’s about the drugs”, I disagreeand I am sure no one will notice I emphasize, isn’t that what good publishers are supposed to do? There remains a difference between what you are entitled to and what is entitlement. The Flanigan I know, never had any sense someone owes him an audience, so, leave when you need to. The Flanigan I know is no good at controversy, though sometimes he is its counselor— listen or don’t. I wonder when I hear such things—-what is i–t-that a good writer should not know with their body, their meditations and their lives? Who was that I seen leave? Wisdom—-Good writers leave with their audiences.
Flanigan by our numbers…(in lieu of vitae we cant publish as it belongs to someone else)
Nxt to 0 (said: Next to Nothing)
VOLK/c.s.p.i
Exile on Main Street
Semantikon
Fringe Fest
Performance Art series
Exiled From Main Street
Minute Poems
Self Portrait (Out of the Emptiness)…
yesterday we promised some magnolia electric company linkage related to this post…see below for complete lyrics to Blue Chicago Moon…
Blue Chicago Moon
out of the ruins
blood grown heavy from his past
his wings stripped by thunder
but those storms keep coming back
singing birds in sickness
sing the same blues songs
when they fell out of the emptiness
they must have brought along
space’s loneliness (x2)
gotten so good at hiding it
even he does not admit it
that glittering flash in his eyes
makes it look like he might be alright
if the blues are you hunter
then you will come face to face
with that darkness and desolation
and the endless depression
but you are not helpless
and you are not helpless
try to beat it (x2)
and live through space’s loneliness (x2)
you are not helpless (x2)
I’ll help you to try to beat it
After nearly a year in between, semantikon is proud to open the 2009 year with site feature Scot Kaplan. With coverage in visual art, film and literature, Kaplan brings 3 essays (2 finished, and one ongoing for a new book), has opened his film portfolio and launches the January Edition with a slide show of works to be updated through March 2009 with additional slides, new works, audio clips and more.
Two first with this feature—1. Kaplan’s feature spans the entire site, so whether you head to the visual art gallery or his writing feature, it all loops back. 2.:Kaplan, as evidenced below, launches our guest blogger program—something all upcoming features, and we hope, some former features too will be taking up. While we’re on the topic of looping back, as usual, we’re working to get the site ready for post and we design a broadside poster after the features’ work, our free broadside this edition—in support of Kaplan’s feature a more unusual poster—as it features, a donut, or donaught after Kaplan’s essay, “Art or Dounuts”, which we read as a perfect loop back to Brenda Dervin (another one our favorite OSU researchers for finding meaning where there is none)
It’s much to late to spell check, so pull up a fire and hide your clocks…
it’s sunday afternoon and i have been getting emails about where things have been moving on the site since last we posted. thus far, we have scheduled two more feature visual artist(more on that soon), and laid out plans for our first edition of the 2009 year. part of our ever expanding collection of site features, today, we are happy to welcome jan 2009 feature scot kaplan, our first guest blogger on hypergraphia who will be writing along side me throughout the week as we get ready to go…wheels a turning…
Today brings news about the 2009 feature year as we have confirmed two guest editors—Belgian film maker and art educator Geert Wachtalaer and former literature feature Mick Parsons. Geert, featured on our site early on as one of our first film features and later on, as our featured visual artist in january 2006, Mick, who has shared a hand creating Cincinnati’s writing nonprofit InkTank also ran three legged cow press, edited sticky kitchen journal—-besides being an early and continuing evangelist for the semantikon operation and ethic. Mick’s work featured in early 2005 and his 2006 feature included a downloadable version of his book expedition notes. The diversity of styles, aesthetic and experience will provide useful to both as they prepare to launch their editions of the site and—no doubt we are proud to have them on and help them make the most of the tools and resources we provide to empower people to manifest a more organic and community driven publishing operation.
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Just got a news item from Feb. 2008 featured visual artist Ken Morgan (open his feature in a new window now)—Ken will be showing in the 11th annual Armory Show in New York in March 2009. Here is the break down of the exhibit with dates, times, links and info.
Armory 2009 Show Details… Public Hours: Thursday, March 5 through Sunday, March 8 Piers 92 and 94 Twelfth Avenue at 55th Street, New York City www.thearmoryshow.com
Ken Morgan...Trapeze Days
News on future feature…
In the time since the site was last updated, I’ve had the opportunity to spoke at length with Ken, who, besides being a former trapeze performer, has Ohio roots in the Columbus arts community and in arts education. Ken, who suffered a stroke a few years back continues to create works—and part of our discussion including talk of supporting a unique interactive project generating a “coloring book” of his works inviting the audience and fellow artist to color his works, scan or mail them in—after which, the works will be made prepared for print and sold at auction with proceeds benefiting a charity that works to assist artists afflicted with various physically impairments.
Ever and after…
As discussed in the recent semantikon editorial about my own personal strife and family sorrow while we were away, I came to learn from Ken that he had lost his wife, Kate, to cancer during the course of the year. Although we typically do not discuss personal issues on the site, I feel it important to note that in his wife’s absence, Ken was inspiration to me as he shows no signs of stopping—an unique soul that is equal parts dignity and grace, able to steer sheer will through the abyss to imagine each new day.
Ken sent along some new works for us to peruse, and in the coming weeks we will be sharing a few of those works and sending news about the “coloring” book project with Ken later this year….
a sample of new work by Ken… “Logo #2″ by Ken Morgan (2008)
Semantikon will launch its 2009 year with artist Scot Kaplan. Below find the first in a series of films, reviews and articles about his work creating visual art, performance works, installation works, video and writings. Video on the link below.
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