National Dinonaut

Content

2010-05-11T13:44:00Z

I had a dream that I was steadily updating Dinonaut with copious amounts of quality material. In my dream it was my ticket out of indentured servitude and helped me accomplish other, greater things. It's hard to take too much stock in dreams - though sometimes it's harder not to. My passion for posting content here used to drive me, and I used to sit down every Saturday night after work at Dumont Burger and put together a video with whatever I had. Of course it helped that I had, around the beginning of my endeavors, just recorded the whole of a week long disaster that turned out to be some of my best videos. Priceless. Since then I've done a lot, but overall I feel like my life is lacking an interesting narrative. Does anyone care what meager adventure I come into? Most of the hits on my webpage are people who chance by via Google Images looking for the Sgt. Pepper album artwork.

I pay for my web hosting in advance, though, so I'm going to carry on - and when it comes time to renew, I'll debate it and deem it a waste of money, but ultimately I'll still have business cards with this URL on them, and I'll cave. Promise. And it's not like I don't do anything fun. I have things to show people still. And in the meantime, if you're some sort of person that can facilitate a travel writing career, you could hire me for cheap, I bet.

Don't Be So Mayo

2010-04-22T23:58:09Z

You know whats cool? Indie music, urban settings, uninhibited happiness, young hipsters. You know whats not cool? Mayonnaise. Sure, at one point it was a great condiment - useful on sandwiches, in salads, even on french fries. That was in the past; mayo just hasn't kept up with the times. It is decidedly un-hip. So un-hip, in fact, that it has become synonymous with lameness. Don't be so mayo, asshole.

David Bowie Tributon, Part 2 - Market Market, Rosendale, NY

2010-03-25T17:47:42Z

First of all, I guess I should apologize for the delay. So, sorry. I'm sorry it took so long to post all this great stuff, but considering the sheer size of what I had to work with, I don't feel too bad. Take a quick peek here at this playlist and tell me you've seen a bigger local crowd packed so%

David Bowie Tributon, Part 1 - Market Market, Rosendale, NY

2010-03-09T22:50:14Z

First of all, let me welcome Rosendale, NY back to the world of the living. A torrential snowstorm managed to sever, not just Rosendale, but a large portion of the Hudson Valley's connection to the outside world via the internet or even power in some of the more desperate areas. Here in New Paltz I was temporarily disconnected from the internet, too, if just for an evening. Market Market, which managed to avoid, for the most part, the wrath of the storm, quickly adapted to host the refugees from the community. With the Rosendale Cafe out of commission, and most of Main Street in the dark, its no surprise that the Market should turn into a bustling internet cafe. The biggest problem with accessing the only connection in town, is that you're not the only one without. No one is sending you facebook messages or shooting friendly emails. In fact, when you get buried under so many inches of bitter, slushy snow there's not a whole lot to do anywhere.

Well, there wouldn't have been, save for, once again, Market Market's intervention. Six-some-weeks ago it was decided that the third Tributon would honor the prolific David Bowie, and the date decided on happened to be the same weekend of our ill fated weather. But as they say, the show must go on, and after a week of hibernation, everyone was eager and excited to get out of the house and be merry and entertained. Just as we had seen with the Prince Tributon, it seemed that just about everyone in the city came out to enjoy; among those in attendance were Carla Rozman and John Cox, who spearheaded the evening with a lovely number set to the tune of Suffragette City. Carla, who was also the host of the evening, kept things positively energetic and festive.

The growth seen between the Madonna and Prince Tributons continued tenfold for the Bowie event, and because of this I've had to split the set for my own mental health. Embedded in the playlist above you'll find a treasure trove of goodies from the first couple performers of the evening. Brian and Alan Macaluso, AKA The Techsmiths, did a lovely tribute to a tribute to David Bowie by covering 'Bowie's in Space' from Flight of the Conchords. Jude Roberts brought his golden pipes to the Tributon and rallied some lovely back-up girls for his covers. John Wirtz, who I met for the first time at the door just shy of 9pm, did a soulful rendition of 'Five Years', the song that finally made me a believer in Bowie's songwriting.

John Cox, who came into my life like a whirlwind with a miniature blue piano, played a couple songs that conjure up memories of campfire sing-a-longs (Lady Stardust, which was the first song he's performed in public in years, was removed out of respect to Cox's request, though if you're wondering it was quite wonderful). After a short break for technical reconfiguring, Wayne Montecalvo went up to perform the most avant and deconstructed covers of the evening. Using a voice modification box of some sort he gave us a seriously unique 'Panic in Detroit' and, with the help of John Wirtz, followed up with TVC15.

Like I said, the set list for the evening was massive, so you'll have to wait a while to see the conclusion. In the meantime I'd like to remind everyone of some other great stuff happening at Market Market between now and the April 10th Elvis Costello Tributon. This Friday, March 12, is Karaoke night, and Saturday is the R&B stylings of We Must Be. John Cox will be hosting Market Market's first Open Mic Night on Wednesday March 31st, and Wayne Montecalvo and I are hosting a community film fest on Friday, April 9th, which is still accepting submissions (So submit, dammit). For other listings, check the events calendar at Market Market's webpage, or stop in at 1 Madeline Lane off RT 32 in Rosendale NY.

Video Video @ Market Market

2010-03-05T01:40:48Z

Market Market is the pulse of Rosendale, NY. To a community composed primarily of artists and artistically inclined professionals, a place like the Market is essential; a place to blow off creative steam. From the host of local musicians who take up residence on the weekends (great live shows are booked for every weekend this month, starting Saturday night with Super 400 & Shana Falana), the monthly Karaoke, and the ever popular Tributon events. Market Market has played host to rock shows, birthday parties, upcoming open mic nights (starting March 31, hosted by the fabulous John Cox), even book readings - and in April it will also play host to artists who deal in the world of film.

A friend and loyal customer of Market Market, Wayne Montecalvo, first mentioned that he had at some time and place played host to a film festival. Immediately I thought of Market Market, and the projector Jen had talked so much about. Within the hour we had hammered out a plan to organize such an event, and the next day it was okay'd by Jen Constantine and here we are.

So what exactly does that mean to you? Well, if you live in Rosendale, or the surrounding areas, it means you send me your video - three minutes in legth, thereabouts - and Wayne and I curate a wonderful event showcasing the overwhelming creativity of the wonderful people who live here. If you would like to be a part of this, great! You can submit one of two ways, or both, but that seems a bit redundant. Simply bring your video, in your preferred medium, on a CD or DVD to Market Market Cafe in Rosendale, at the corner of Madeline Lane and RT32, or email a link for DOWNLOAD to videovideo.mm@gmail.com. That simple!

Day of Ruin

2010-02-26T04:28:20Z

As I comb through the thousands of photographs I took during the summer of 2006, I'm explicitly drawn to one conclusion: my life was pretty rad. Though I had experienced a lot of turbulence during the rest of the year, for that 3 month period between the beginning of June and the end of August, I had, easily, the most fun I've ever had in my life. I had the most friends I've ever had at any given point (perhaps even more than all the friends I've ever had at any other given point in my life, combined), and I routinely, as in, daily, found adventures and had people to adventure with. I went South to right a wrong, I celebrated music on a grand scale on more than one occasion, I visited New York City for the first time in my life, and I went to Athens, Georgia with three total strangers.

Seriously, life was rad. My petty responsibilities at Taco Bell allowed me plenty of time to enjoy the beautiful summer days with beautiful people. Of course there was always a date circled in red on the calendar in my brain that marked the day I was finally leaving Corning, New York for what I had only assumed were greener pastures: Purchase College. How likely that, during the most wonderful summer of my life, I'd pack my shit and leave for a place that would host, hands down, the worst year of my adult life. But still, if nothing else, I got out of Corning, NY and if I died tomorrow at least people would know I didn't die in Corning.

But, at the time, when I looked towards the future I didn't see the dark clouds that would eventually obscure my blue skies, I just saw a vast and empty plain in which anything could be waiting. It was an infinite opportunity, and I was happy to welcome the change. I was packing my life away and leaving my home with my best friend for something that promised a better life down the road. Not wanting to leave without having something to show for my golden summer, a few of my friends and I put our heads together to produce something grand. Kyle Atkinson, who was a prized member of my extended family, is an aspiring film maker and was more than happy to hold a camera and tell us what to do. I guess they call that directing.

Anyways, we had an idea about a guy who has a really shitty day, and essentially that's all we had - which accounts for maybe the first 3 minutes of the movie, which we aptly titled 'Day of Ruin'. I played a schmuck who loses his job and gets stuck on an incredible journey of bad luck. Along the way he gets involved with his no-good cousin Ronnie, a character played by Elijah Kull. He easily stole the show with his fresh-out-of-prison attitude and his hostages and whatnot. Once my character was expelled from Ronnie's car, we had exhausted our scripted material, but felt that the story hadn't been told in it's entirety. The day hadn't been exceptionally bad, and Ronnie hadn't been used to the best of his potential. But where else could we go with it?

Well, Kyle followed me around with a camera until the sun went down, and we pretty much got one more scene out of the day. I seem to recall something about Elijah bearing down on me with his car in the tunnel on the bike path, but maybe I'm making that up. Anyways, our filming schedule was segmented by my whirlwind Popfest journey (and a haircut, but you can barely tell), and when I got back our take on the movie was entirely different. We felt as if we had taken the 'bad day' motif as far as it was going to go, and let the movie film itself organically. We grabbed a handful of a friends and enlisted their help for one marathon day of filming at a park near Chazland.

Adrian LaDelia was recruited to play an adversary to Ronnie. During the shooting we were calling him a gremlin, which helped shape his actions and mannerisms, but when all was said and done, he turned out to just be an old friend who had borrowed a watch for, perhaps, too long. I think my best acting is the scene with Corey Mattison, which was all done in one take and completely unrehearsed. That, or the look on my face when Ronnie snaps Miranda's neck. Ironically she had a broken back at the time. I think we were blessed to have had access to a bunch of nerds who wear full camo and kevlar vests to shoot at each other with airsoft rifles. That sequence with the guns is one of my favorites.

I can never really tell if this movie is funny, though, to anyone who wasn't directly involved. The boss, Mr. Fett, is one of the most brilliant inventions of our generation. To speak only in Boba Fett quotes from Star Wars, subtitled with what he truly means to say, or the fact that he breaks the rule to call the protagonist a douchebag kills me. The final scene where he absconds with Corey's severed hand in his empty briefcase (save for a solitary paper clip) was mean to play after the credits. Kyle always does the best credits. There is no good explanation for that scene, but even Alex Straight, who was the stand-in for Mr. Fett at the end, couldn't keep from laughing during the filming.

Though the film seems abandoned, it is all a representation of how time creates and destroys. We had to premiere the film before we left for Purchase, and that time came faster than we expected. The audio was meant to be overdubbed during the car scene and adjusted during the chase scene. While only two scenes were soundtracked, it was meant to prominently feature Seal's Kiss From a Rose at some point. The exposure for a lot of the day shots were too bright, and the plot didn't exactly gel like we expected. But still, this is something I revisit ever-so-often and every time I do, I'm overwhelmed with pride and a longing to surround myself with all the lovely people who made this possible. Hopefully it translates well to something other people can enjoy, without being a part of it.

By the way, you can enjoy some behind the scenes photos here!

PXL: Everyplace to See and Everything to Know about New York City

2010-02-09T14:39:24Z

Truth be told, I finished this video last week, and had it uploaded for a while now. I guess it's just strange to write about it. I went in to the city a couple weeks ago with my friend Eric Stern because I was having withdraws. I missed the abundant, cheap ethnic food, the waves of people who couldn't care either way what you're doing with an odd camera pointed at them, the busy, dirty streets. I missed my old neighborhood in Brooklyn. I missed it all. So when he dropped me off in Chelsea, I walked from there to Greenwich village, and from there to Chinatown, and from there to Union Square. I even went to Queens to visit my friend Abe at the bar he runs in Long Island City, Dutch Kills. He made me the best ginger ale I've ever tasted.

I guess I was most excited about getting back to Williamsburg. I was dreaming of stuffing myself full of arepas and then buying tons of records at Academy. When I showed up the following morning it was more of a let down than anything. All the gaudy developments that were still under construction are now glistening eye-sores. There are countless shiny new store fronts and the freelancers are all gone. Williamsburg operates now as just another Manhattan extension off the L train. I didn't walk over to South Second, I didn't want to know if it's still little Puerto Rico. If the Potato Cafe was gone, I didn't wan't to see.

Prince Tributon - Market Market, Rosendale NY

2010-01-13T15:13:57Z

So indulge me, if you will, as I do what I do every Friday evening through Monday afternoon (and any random occasion that it seems appropriate in between); sing the praises of Market Market. If you live in the Hudson Valley you probably already know about it in some capacity, either as that delightful little cafe off 32, or as that building that was, at some point in time, the Springtown Green Grocer. For those of you outside of the Hudson Valley, where ever you might be, this information is good to know in case you ever come North from New York City and begin to have a panic attack. MKTx2 can help. So let me just take a moment to say that the humble little building on the corner of Madeline Lane and Route 32 is, in fact, not the Springtown Green Grocer, nor has it been for nearly 3 years. It is, in reality, the premier purveyor of excellent foods in the greater New Paltz/Rosendale/High Falls area. Not only is the day to day menu solid and inviting, but the weekly specials are off the charts. From massive portions of organic, free-range chicken to delicious scallops with polenta, the food at Market Market is simply unrivaled. So when you're hungry on Friday night, think outside Main Street and enjoy an awesome dinner at Market Market.

Not only does MKTx2 have killer food, but it's just straight up a cool place. Case in point, the Tributon. Now, pretty much every weekend Market Market has live entertainment of some breed, be it local or touring musicians, or monthly events like Jazz night (first Tursday of every month) or Karaoke (3rd Friday of every month), but a couple months back it hosted what turned out to be it's biggest event, Tributon - a night of covers performed by local musicians, dedicated to the collective works of one artist. The first round was Madonna, and half of Rosendale turned out to see it. Last Saturday was round two, a night dedicated to the music of Prince. Now I can say I'm no large fan of either of these spotlighted musicians, but I'm a huge fan of everything that happened both nights.

From the haunting opening by Kelleigh Mckenzie with her banjo and amplified stomps; the dirty lyrics of Prince in contrast with her sweet face straight through to the techno-beat dance party that it ended with, care of Michael Truckpile. Throughout it was a steady mixture of funny and sincere, with acts like Julie Novak and her lounge rendition of Raspberry Beret and Altar Egos who sum up "So a nun and a rabbi walk into this bar..." and deliver a sermon via Prince's '7', or tender moments like Chris Kelly performing 'Under the Cherry Moon' (during which I was horrified to find that the crowd was a steady hum of chatter), and Market Market's own Lara Hope, who, as per usual, learned her song 20 minutes before the performance, though I challenge you to find even a single flaw.

Anyways, I caught almost the entire set with my camera, save a few where the audio was shot or at the end when a girl named Anna snuck on stage to sing 'Nothing Compares 2 U'. Since it was so dark that night I had to use nightshot, which is why everything is grainy and black and white, though it does have a pleasing artsy-fartsy sort of thing to it. If you weren't there, that's a shame, but there's good news! The third Tributon is coming on February 27th, featuring the music of David Bowie. If you want to sign up to perform, contact Jen, if you want to attend, just bring yourself and come early to enjoy some dinner.

Winter Retrospective: A Brief Summer-y

2009-12-31T07:13:10Z

I do a lot of filming; pretty much everywhere I go I have my camera at hand. Sometimes you just don't have enough substance to make a movie, though. So what happens then? Typically if I don't have enough to work with when I get home, I just delete it. Sometimes I keep it around, and it floats around forever (like this beautiful footage of a running fire hydrant I took in Greenwich Village last winter). However, some moments are too precious to condemn to the recycling bin, and over the summer I collected quite a few of them.

Recently someone posted a short movie from Jon Anzalone's Bastille Day party, and it got me thinking about last summer and all the random moments I had recorded but done nothing with. For instance, the might and symbolic Bastille that Whitney and Miranda spent all day crafting, only to be squashed by the French Revolution (played here by Jon). That day I dug a pit, which was easily large enough to bury someone in, and spent a large portion of my day scooping handfuls of gritty Brooklyn sand and shards of glass from my spacious hole.

And though I was in a new place, it was hard feeling free. The confines of the MTA were behind me, and wide open roads were all around, but all I had to travel on was a bike. This suited me fine in Brooklyn, considering I could ride it anywhere I needed it. Here it's 15 miles between here and the next thing, 30 miles to anything interesting. The bike will take you pretty far, but as a means of transportation, it doesn't work effectively. On Rt-299, which I rode to the end of and back, I found a castle set back in the woods, which, apparently was a private residence. There were signs all over saying it was private property, but such signs are not applicable when you live in a fucking castle.

In another attempt to get out in the world, I spent the day with my dear friends Kathleen Vecchia and Erin Boylan, who is the heir to the Boylan's soda fortune. We went to Kingston to rendezvous with a friend of theirs from Purchase, but had a lot of time to kill in the meantime so we checked out the waterfront in East Kingston. From the inside of a ramshackle building to the deserted shores of what used to be a brick factory, we wandered about and took in the sights. I guess we weren't supposed to be there, I hear it's a bad neighborhood, but whatever. We survived.

Closer to home I was able to find adventure, too, be it on the trails surrounding New Palts or out at Ian Cronin's mother's swank cabin in Esopus. What was supposed to be a weekly ritual stands alone as one of my most cherished moments when my ex co-workers from The Grey Dog's Coffee got together in the Hudson Valley to make dinner and play music (both of which I didn't help much with, but certainly enjoyed to products of). Abe Hawkins and The Don were also there, which was lovely because I adore them both.

Now if only it wasn't negative 1,000,000 out I could have some fun...

Music by The Donkeys

Oh, my nutsack: An Evening with Scrottum

2009-12-07T15:05:51Z

Live from the 1st Annual Bearded Gentleman's Soirée, Ithaca, NY based duo performs a showcase of their crude-humor driven music.

Playlist:

Act one

1. resilience
2. girls take dumps and fart
3. teabag you
4. kids suck at singing
5. showing it to tim
Act two

1. oh my nutsack
2. you've got a friend
3. local cheeseburger
4. anti-arachnid
5. port royal on the rocks
6. our trip to pizza hut
Act three

1. meat licked
2. car farts
3. dog's talon
4. nutsack in the desert
5. gospel
6. one man's trash
7. down south necrophiliac
Finale

1. paraphernalia
2. anderson
3. ugly baby
4. handshake #6
5. red devil
6. water
7. selfish bitch

What a Concept: Top 10 Concept Albums

2009-11-25T21:51:06Z

With the advent of recorded music came a phenomenal revolution, and the birth of an entire industry. What, before, was an art more akin to a verbal history of passed down stories or dusty tomes of hymns and prayers became a form of self expression and mystery. The world leapt at the opportunity to catalog the songs floating around and distribute them to people who didn't have access to great musicians. Once established, the music industry introduced the masses to the idea of the single. This was marketing more than art, but there was, above all, an art to the marketing. Bands were acquired as a resource and used until depleted.

But there was an oddball factor to the equation - the album. As opposed to the single, which featured a popular radio tune on one side of a 45 backed with another less popular B-side tune that often amounted to little more than filler. An album expanded this relationship, collecting a series of singles comingled with various fluff pieces and b-sides. For the most part, early albums were chaotic discs produced without concern for flow or staying power; they were simply a means of collecting songs produced solely for radio play in one easy place for consumers to purchase. This was a tumultuous period of the musical industry driven by a lust for money and the readiness of musicians to exploit themselves for the love of their craft, or, for their own monetary gain.

While some bands, by the nature of their subject matters, were able to produce albums that seemed somehow cohesive, it wasn't until people began making music with the album in mind that the industry stepped back from the cacophony of the single - just a step, mind you, as popular music today is still contingent upon the money brought in from singles, still, a step is a step. Once artists began to think of the album as a blank canvas as opposed to a collage was it a viable means of musical expression. Expanding the world view beyond 7 inches unlocked the deepest creativity in artists who were still searching for their place in the world and well established artists alike. Of course, once the album was looked at in this respect it only seemed natural that song writers would see this as an opportunity to create story book albums that carried out an objective of theme throughout the duration of the LP.

Thus the concept album was born, and thus the concept album flourished. By writing, not just a song but an album, artists were able to create unified music that had a beginning, middle, and an end, much like the motifs of classical pieces. Through song craft contemporary artists in the 60's were able to share narratives or discuss ideals through a complete work of art, as opposed to making brief commentaries through singles. Those who blazed the trails of concept work did so in such a remarkable ways that those albums stand as testament to the entire catalog of the artist's work. These albums are timeless, peerless, and consistently inspirational to today's most impressive artists.

I have compiled a list of my 10 favorite concept albums here. In the age of the iPod it's imperative to remember the power of the album, these following LP's should act as the gold standard for all aspiring songwriters.

Continue here...!

]]> 10

The Beatles - Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band

John Lennon was so excited about what The Beatles had accomplished with Sgt. Pepper's that he proclaimed that it would be, for them, what Freak Out! was for Frank Zappa. Zappa, on the other hand, was convinced that the band had exploited the hippy culture in order to sell records. This, in return, spurred Zappa to make the album "We're only in it for the Money"; the jacket of which features the most accurate parody of Sgt. Pepper's own artwork. Despite Zappa's strong opinion of the albums debatable intentions, it still stands as a landmark in the Beatles discography.

Aside from the psychedelic influences and the many allusions that feed the mythos surrounding Paul McCartney's mortality, the albums flows steadily through narratives which boarder on mundane, all the while maintaining a whimsical magic. Sgt Pepper's paints a period piece of life in England in the late 60's and has been, since its release, a source of infinite inspiration to musicians. Even today children are being exposed to the Beatles and latching on to this album in particular. While it lacks a strong lead, and doesn't have any of the most powerful singles in the Beatles catalog, when taken as a whole, this album is as potent as most contemporary music condensed to its purest form.

Neutral Milk Hotel - In the Aeroplane Over The Sea

Though I'm not a very avid fan of Neutral Milk Hotel or even of this album in particular, its impact on independent music is immeasurable. Aeroplane came about at a tender moment in the era of modern indie music. In the 1990's artists began a fight to legitimize music that fell under the radar of the typical MTV watcher. While the 'college music' genre flourished with acts like The Spin Doctors and Ween leading the charge, this only amounted to so much, perhaps even reverting the fight to some laughable adolescent romp. The inherent problem with labeling independent music as 'college music' was the implication that it wasn't grown up or mature. It was silly and ignorable, passed over in lieu of adult alternative (which had the good fortune of being deemed mature; suitable for grownups).

Neutral Milk Hotel demanded attention with their sophomore album, In The Aeroplane Over The Sea, a collection of love songs written from the heart of Jeff Mangum to Anne Frank with whom he holds a special dedication for. It was undeniably mature and unmistakably lo-fi. There was nothing that sounded like it on the radio, there was nothing that sounded like it anywhere, and in one flawless motion this Athens, GA based band cemented its place in history, and purified the waters of independent music. Though Jeff Mangum has since become a recluse and the band has not put out an album since, their credibility continues to carry them deeper into the hall of musical heroes.

Grandaddy - The Sophtware Slump

I really don't have much love for Californian music. It's a world I can't relate to; one super long monotonous season, continuous beaches, smog clouds, landslides, plastic people. I've been to California, and it sucks. I don't really get along with Californian people very well, and I certainly don't want to hear about the place in any of the music I listen to. As far as I'm concerned L.A. couldn't be more different from NYC in terms of population, location, public transportation, air breathability, and musically. Luckily Grandaddy from Modesto, CA doesn't write songs for California, they hardly even feel like songs for this planet.

Jason Lytle pens songs like a science fiction writer, and unapologetically creates alternate universes where space travel is simultaneously no big deal and the biggest deal. It's easy to relate, somehow, to the worlds Lytle spins, even if the protagonists are distant workers using satellite surveillance to feel close to their families, or debaucherous robots who, like all of us, just want to find someplace to belong. Sophtware Slump is a largely underappreciated masterpiece that welcomes you in at the first track and keeps you captivated until the end. It's like living another life in 48 minutes.

Love - Forever Changes

I can't imagine trying to record an album under circumstances where you believe that, any day now, everyone will die. Even in these tumultuous times I can't fathom walking around with that sort of fear always playing in the back of my mind. Still, it was under these conditions that Love was able to produce its landmark album. The 60's were a time where the musical scene was more fluid, finding it hard to solidify with all the waves being made; revolutionary new genres were being created every day, and classic music people never expected to fall out of fashion were suddenly cast aside. But it wasn't just the music scene that had these changes reverberating through them; it was the whole nation that was experiencing revolutions on all fronts. Music seemed to follow suit.

So with all this weighing heavily on the minds of Arthur Lee and Bryan MacLean, they put together Forever Changes, an album that puts insecurity in the driver's seat and let it run free. What I find so interesting about this album isn't the overbearing strangeness, but it's accessibility in spite of this. To begin listening to this album with a clear mind and jaded ears, you'd barely notice the macabre themes and the dark lyrics, you would just chalk this up as another well executed late 60's psych album. With the state of affairs in this day and age, it's surprising that this album hasn't seen a widespread revival.

David Bowie - The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars

When I was first introduced to the music of David Bowie by my college roommate and best friend Elijah Kull, I was so put off that I wouldn't give it a chance. Now, here my friend was presenting me with a science fiction glam rock concept album about space and an apocalyptic future and I was so turned off by the wailing voice of David Bowie that I wouldn't give it two seconds of my very uneventful day. Those are all things I adore, and I was so stubborn that it would be months before I gave it a chance.

Of course Ziggy Stardust is one of the most popular concept albums ever produced, which is no surprise. Ziggy Stardust captures every element of a concept album brilliantly; a sexually promiscuous protagonist from outer-space turned rock star, a grim look at the future of humanity told allegorically through a warning of the coming apocalypse, and the tragic undoing of the main character by the evils of the rock and roll lifestyle he came to embody. Though the opening track, Five Years, is one of the most beautiful and without a doubt Bowie's best songwriting, the album falls victim to awkward production. The music is very layered, but the resulting sound is flat and tends to wash the intricacies out of his effort.

The Kinks - The Kinks Are the Village Green Preservation Society

No one is better at crafting perfect concept albums than Ray Davies of The Kinks. Davies has a way of exploring otherwise mundane facets of English life and transforming them into masterful albums which seem more like musical case studies of real people than they do songs about made up characters and situations. Starting in 1966 The Kinks began working with the concept album with Face to Face and carrying through with a host of other brilliant concept albums like Arthur, Lola, the often overlooked Muswell Hillbillies, Preservation: acts 1 & 2, and my personal favorite, Village Green Preservation Society.

Village Green is an introspective look at the way the past actively affects the present by examining various situations in which memories play a significant role in the decisions and emotions of the present. With strong emphasis on the way time changes relationships and tends to either magnify bad choices or erase sour memories, Village Green is one of the most accurate explorations of the joy and remorse associated with nostalgia.

Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention - Freak Out!

Freak Out, aside from being the first double-lp, is one of the greatest records in history. Finding inspiration from the crumbling fabric of American life, a bad divorce, 50's doo-wop, and the crooked politics of the Southern Californian music scene in the 60's, Frank Zappa wrote, not just two, but four sides of music for his debut album. On the inside of the record sleeve he printed all the sarcastic and bad reviews of his music (which is tame by today's standards, but revolutionary then), including a snippet from a DJ who wanted to make them famous like The Turtles, which is ironic considering that eventually Frank Zappa would absorb two members from The Turtles and put them to work making his offensive music.

With his special blend of cynicism and humor, Zappa painted a portrait of the American Dream that was simultaneously skewed and crystal clear. It was his harsh criticism of politics and society that challenged the minds of those people who were living that dream and inspired those who weren't to greatness. Zappa crawled around in the filth of the back alleys of L.A.'s music scene for long enough to pick up ample material for his debut, and it was even this material that lost the band their typical gigs as cover musicians at local bars. Who wants to face reality through song when you can just listen to Louie Louie?

Casper & the Cookies - The Optimist's Club

In the interest of full disclosure, and for anyone who has spent any time on this webpage before, I have to say that the good folks in C&tC are dear friends of mine, but it isn't my personal relationship with that that earns this album a spot on my list. If I had never had the opportunity to meet Jason Nesmith, Kay Stanton, or Jim Hix, I'd still be just as in love with this album as I am today. The songs speak for themselves.

When I first moved to New York City the Optimist's Club was my constant companion. As I learned the intricacies of the New York Subways and carefully mapped out the twisted jumble of side streets that compose the greater portion of Greenwich Village I always had this album playing on my iPod. While this album chronicles so beautifully the way NYC presents itself to people from the rest of the country, it also offers comfort in knowing that you're not the only one struggling with the idea of being completely alone in a crowd. The impacts of this album, and of the many, many live performances from the gang during this era of their career, are invaluable in my life.

The Flaming Lips - Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots

I often contribute this album to the personal musical renaissance I experienced in my life. Though I had begun to see the light sometime in 1998 when I first picked up a copy of Modest Mouse's This is a Long Drive for Someone with Nothing to Think About and the previous album from the Flaming Lips, The Soft Bulletin, it wasn't until the release of 2002's Yoshimi that I found music infecting every detail of my life. It was then that music became my constant companion.

And it wasn't simply the fact that it was the right album at the right time, Wayne Coyne's lyrical mastery offered me life lessons and sympathy that resonates still with my life to this very day. At every point in my life since this album I have found a song here that speaks to me and offers fresh insight where I previously hadn't noticed it. When I didn't know how a man decides what's right for his own life, this album was here for me. When I needed help keeping myself in the present, this album was here to remind me that all we have is now. When I felt jinxed this album was there to tell me I'm not the only one to get tricked into forgiving someone. I swear this album boarders on philosophy, wrapped in a tight musical package.

of Montreal - The Gay Parade

When I was packing my shit for an extended trip to Tucson, Arizona, where I would spend the next several months, I brought very few things. In my bag I brought my clothes, all of which didn't fill a suitcase, a DVD copy of O Brother, Where Art Thou, and of Montreal's Gay Parade. Somehow, this seemed like enough.

I was first introduced to this album by my friend Max at the dawn of my interest in vinyl records. We had both just started a collection and I would bring mine down to his house so we could listen to them on the turntable he got for his birthday. This was exciting; considering that at the time there was nowhere near Corning to buy records, coming across good vinyl was like finding treasure. I used to raid record stores in Buffalo and Rochester, and even found a great one in Waverly (the New York half of the city, not the Pennsylvanian half). Still, despite the fact that I would email record stores from as far away as Texas to find rare records, most of my money went to Ebay and Insound, with the occasional order to Tonevendor, who I actually preferred but didn't always but wasn't always able to find what I needed.

But I digress, Gay Parade is a romp which catalogs the lives several characters from all walks of life, which all seem to culminate or cross paths in some way. This album, while much akin to the songwriting of Ray Davies, is also a in a totally different category. The characters created here are not portraits of any sort of modern life, but rather animated cross sections of what might be real people or situations. You feel both joy and empathy for these fictional beings as they expose their lives to the listener. Instead of feeling like an anthropological survey, Gay Parade feels more like a comic book, or a collection of short stories that all connect.

1 YR NDSA: PXL ED.

2009-11-07T19:45:07Z

Over the last few weeks I've been avoiding the reoccurring messages in my inbox saying "AUTO RENEWAL FAILED" (namely because I have not had steady internet for the last few weeks), which detailed the fact that my hosting was about to expire and the card information they had on file was no longer current. At first I thought it was a convenient situation, since my mind wasn't made up to whether or not I was even going to continue to run this webpage. I have had moderate success sharing videos of live concerts and even just recently had the chance to debut my animated music video for Casper & the Cookies, but still I feel like the things that I was most proud of were the things no one really cared about; my epic New Years trip to Athens, GA, the marathon trek to Chicago and back in three days or less, or the monumental day we concquered the Mohonk.

But instead of this I decided to bite the bullet and carry on. I like going on adventures, and sharing them with complete strangers makes me feel like I'm wandering with some sort of purpose. So I washed another 100-some-odd-dollars down the toilet and renewed. So I guess the world is stuck with another year of this nonsense.

However, the good news, after over a year my PXL-2000 camera is finally functional. When I started this webpage it was with all intents to solely post PXL videos. Of course I'm glad that I've found other niches, but I'm also elated that I finally got this ancient piece of equipment up to speed with the modern world. I bought the camera back in Brooklyn and installed RCA jacks for audio and video out, so it could be recorded directly to digital format on a slave camera (aiptek). I soldered and altered and was pretty proud of myself, but still I couldn't get it to work. In the end it ended up just sitting around, a constant $80 reminder of my overzealous spending.

Just recently while I was at Market Market in Rosendale I mentioned the camera to a friend of mine who is savvy with the technical stuff, Brian Macaluso who runs a computer repair shop in New Paltz, and he seemed pretty enthusiastic about it. So the next day I brought it by the shop and he took a look at it, instantly identifying that what was lacking was a ground wire. Just in case any of you amateurs out there are thinking of doing any circutry, just be aware that ground wires are important and cannot be neglected. In a second flat Brian soldered on a new ground and we were in business. The next day I rerouted it to run off one 9-volt instead of 6 AA batteries and took it outside.

The footage is incredible; it's simultaneously beautiful and spooky. It's the kind of camera that you'd have with you if you ever saw a real life Bigfoot. Just defined enough to suggest that something is happening, but vague enough that you have to fill in the blanks. It flickers like old super 8 film, but circumvents the need for pricey developing and provides you with immediate review of your work. I just walked around for a while filming some stuff; old barns, Miranda, my cat Chip, a stream in the woods. This is basically just a test run, but it's worth checking out for sure. I still have a few glitches that need to be addressed with the camera, but once it's up and running expect more of this to come.

Music by Black Mold.

Casper & the Cookies - Little King

2009-10-28T17:36:27Z

So, pretty much one million years ago I was talking to my pal Jason Nesmith on the phone. Now this was back when he was finishing up production on Casper & the Cookies' new album Modern Silence. For a while I had been thinking about doing some sort of animated video for them, and as the timing had worked out, I had just lost my job. I figured that drawing the same thing over and over hundreds of times per day seemed like an acceptable way to pass the time and offered to make a music video for the launch of the new album. He was elated and I was elated and everyone seemed to be onboard with the idea. Of course the only animating experience I had prior was several seconds of a pirate sword fight scribbled on tracing paper I did for fun back in High School.

That was way back in February, and the goal was a finished product for the mid-May record release. That seemed like a reasonable deadline, so I began drawing with a panoramic of downtown Athens, GA. Before I knew it, two episode of Lost had elapsed and I hadn't even colored the damn scene. Of course that trial was followed by the concept of 'moving pictures'. I found that when it came to making things move, I had no idea what I was doing. The next few days were dedicated to walk cycles, which seemed to challenge me in every aspect, from the arms to the legs. It just never added up. I was practicing with a lanky drawing of Frank Zappa, and when the gait was proper, the arms were out of sync, and somehow there were always extra frames in there. What the hell?

The months went by, and, still jobless, I kept trucking on the music video. I remember a moment of reflection when I finally broke the 1 minute milemark. I was thinking back to the beginning and it occurred to me that this project was entirely too big for me; I simply wasn't experienced enough and honestly I'm not much of an artist. I'd spend entire days trying to make these cartoon Cookies move around the way I thought they ought to, and often enough ended up scrapping the entire days work only to start anew the next day. It was tough work, no joke, and that deadline was fast approaching.

Of course the release of Modern Silence wasn't the only thing happening mid May, I was also moving out of Brooklyn around the same time. Of course I didn't have that pesky employment to worry about, but I was then splitting my time between the moving process and the animating process. The weekend before I moved the Cookies actually came through town to play a few shows. I felt entirely guilty for not sending them home with a finished product, but I was resolved to get it to them soon.

Upstate was inspiring in a lot of ways, and stifling in many more. I worked hard on the project and the stuff I was doing looked a lot cooler than the stuff I had been doing. I started getting input from friends and started feeling a certain sense of pride. Once I finally got to the home stretch it all fell into place so quickly. The last hurdle I had to jump was the run cycles for, in my opinion, the most pivotal scene - the hallway chase. Once I finished the last frame of the last run cycle I resolved to never animate another (and I'm fairly certain this is something I can stick with). With the video finally completed, this is early October mind you, I excitedly let Jason know I was done and only had to convert the files to the proper format and send them along.

Except nothing every goes that easily; my aging laptop couldn't deal with the stress of converting a massive avi file into a more manageable format and size, and none of the many, many high end programs I tried could provide me with closure. I was downloading everything that had any glimmer of hope and was let down every time. When I was about to unload the raw files on my friends and say "you deal with this", I tried one last solution - that crummy Windows Movie Maker program that comes pre-installed with Vista. It's bare-bones interface was easy on my resources and was able to, finally, put all the pieces of the puzzle together in a neat little package with very little quality lost in the translation. And with that, it was over.

I can't stress enough how important it is to me to share this wonderful band with the world, I would do just about anything to bring them the success they deserve and have worked so hard for. Of course I believe in them 100%, which is why I set to do something so daft in the first place. In honor of the music video release, The Cookies are having a massive sale on their gorgeous double 180 gram vinyl release of Modern Silence. For only $15 you can pick up this extremely limited record featuring an epic 18 tracks from Jason Nesmith, Kay Stanton, and Jim Hix, as well as a slew of Athens musicians on the closing track. For your own sake, I urge everyone to pick up one of these, or maybe even a couple.

Celebration for the Rebirth of the Derelict Bridge

2009-10-18T00:26:37Z

I have been pretty fascinated by the Poughkeepsie Bridge for a while now. It's that spooky looking rail bridge that runs adjacent to the Mid Hudson Bridge, if you've been to Poughkeepsie, you know the one. So interesting is the history and so peculiar it's construction, I even have it playing a pivotal role in the story I've been working on for ages now. Something great has happened to the bridge, though - it's been transformed from an intimidating skeleton to a unique park that spans the distance of one of our nations greatest rivers, The Hudson.

I was there for the grand opening, and much to my surprise, as soon as I showed up a parade was beginning. Featuring a king's ransom of strange characters, from a unicycle brigade to a troupe of colorful aliens, the parade made its way across the 1.25 mile bridge. At the forefront was a wonderful discovery as well, an Eastern European gypsy folk band from Brooklyn, The Raya Brass Band. More on them later.

All Tomorrow's Parties NY 2009: The Flaming Lips

2009-10-02T01:30:33Z

When I was a young man I listened to a lot of garbage - the louder, the angstier, the better in my book. I latched on to any silly rock band that presented ironic, tortured music and thought to myself how great it was that there was at least one person out there that understood the way I felt. Well, then I grew the fuck up. I can't pinpoint exactly what changed, or what sparked my interest in musical talent and my subsequent aversion to self-pity, but I attribute most of it to the year 1998.

Sometime there in the late 90's music got good for me, and as I proceeded to mature throughout high school it was these and other similar artists who became the backing bands to my daily routine. One of the most influential albums in my possession was Yoshimi Battles The Pink Robots by The Flaming Lips. It was so whimsical and creative... It was flat out weird, in a completely unapologetic way. Even to this day the album continues to evolve and songs that once just sounded nice seem to be whispering new truths. With what was left of my childish naivety, I decided that Wayne Coyne would have to adopt me. I was raised without a father, and he doesn't have any kids - it just seemed to make sense. I wrote up a few drafts of carefully worded letters begging him to take me under his wing, but was unable to find the mailing address, so I put the dream on hold.

Despite my fanatic devotion to the Lips, I never had the opportunity to see them live. The year I left to go to college they decided to play the New York State Fair for free, and even though I wasn't able to go, that was as close as I got. That is, until they decided to take on the task of curating the All Tomorrow's Parties festival in Monticello, NY. I scraped together some money and bought a ticket, and thought that perhaps I could meet with him after the show and join the family. As soon as the crowd started to clear, I waited until the security was distracted and snuck back stage. In a cold folding chair I waited patiently for Wayne to come by, which he surely would have to at some point. Finally I saw him coming down the hall, but as he approached I felt myself freeze, and when I walked on by I couldn't even muster the courage to say hi. I've met many of my musical heroes, but never have I felt so intimidated by someone before. I guess it just wasn't meant to be.

Playlist:
Silver Trembling Hands
Yeah Yeah Yeah Song
Fight Test
Enthusiasm for Life Defeats Existential Fear
Convinced of the Hex
Vein of Stars
Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots
The W.A.N.D.
Do You Realize??

A few notes about the set: Due to complications with my camera I was unable to record the set in it's entirety. For this I apologize. From what you can see here, which is a vast majority of the show, it was all very amazing. I would also like to take a moment to thank ehaw2000 who so graciously lent me a very nice audio recording of the show; without which these videos would be useless. I also want to take the time to thank his late friend Cary who passed away due to cancer. I guess it's important to live life while you can, right? Thank you both, and I hope everyone enjoys the show!