book burning for dummies- from phiffer books

Finally! Book burning made easy...for normal folks, like you and i! That’s right bitches, you don’t have to be a lunatic from Florida (together with Utah and Alaska= the 3 states i can pick openly pick on as a Californian) to blaze some pages.

Seriously, this product by Jen Phiffer of Phiffer books is pretty hot...especially if used to full capacity, which i have had the pleasure of doing. Match book <> Book match, get it?! Simply remove from it's little match box home, and strike the this tiny guy, and voila! fire!

So, in celebration of the 1st amendment, 9/11, and fun, i highly suggest this product! I mean it’s only $12. Might as well join the crowd, or stock up for this time next year. A perfect gift for pyro writers...or just pyros, or just writers.

I’ve thoroughly discussed the possibilities of further research and extended products with Ms. Phiffer, so any idea thieves should feel free to step off.

Order here, and check the other bound products from Phiffer Books. Pretty taser factory stuff.

This is truly fun stuff.

Eat It.

david yow "SOLO" exhibition...closing reception.

recently, i have been impressed, again and again, by the quality of physical/visual artwork presented by folks who have built their notoriety (...and fame? fortune?) through other creative means (i.e.: acting, sound-making, etc.)...

what david yow has brought to the table is absolutely no exception...
{a bit of background>>>extremely energetic frontman for: scratch acid/jesus lizard/qui.}

in august, he opened his first solo exhibition, aptly titled "SOLO", here in los angeles, at echo park's DIY Gallery. it's a collection of visual work cut from a blend of the stuff that many will somehow interpret from his recorded styles and a deeper cutting into a very self contained, internal store...a things-i've-seen / how-i-saw-them type of view.
after digging a bit more, i found that i should've expected this. yow was a hangnail away from a BFA before punk rock hijacked the plane (yes, it is 9/11 weekend). i did recall some poster art here and there, and maybe an album cover or 2...but as a side note, yow has held it down for years doing photo retouching, a skill which pours through in parts of this set.
several pieces here contain subtle digital droplets, and with close (and prompted, for me) examination, the truth is right there in plain view. skin tones may prove to be actual skin tones, fly wings may be actual fly wings, and that other thing was definitely made out of image sections of a wasp, etc.

this is a fucking taser factory collection of solid fulfilling visual work...straight up...paintings...digital works...collaged out action...hanging on walls, and worth a view of your own. however, don't waste any time cuz the exhibition closes this weekend: SATURDAY. SEPT. 11TH!!!

here's some short details:

DIY GAllery
DAVID YOW "SOLO"

1549 West Sunset Boulevard 90026

Los Angeles, CA

Closing Reception September 11 2010
Doors Open @ 7:00 pm...
and long
...
David Yow "SOLO" The works created for this show are rooted in Yow’s personal and psychological history, and feature a broad spectrum of mediums. From acrylic, pencil, charcoal, crayon, hair, bugs, collage, and tar on wood, to line drawings digitally combined with photographic textures, Yow reveals an uncommon artistic perspective.

Alongside the exhibition, drinks will be served on the back patio, Musical performances by Instant Pussy and Stepfather !!

In addition to original works for sale, DIY is offering signed prints of Yow’s poster for an August 2010 Queens of the Stone Age / Eagles of Death Metal fundraising concert for bassist Brian O’Connor, who has cancer. All proceeds from poster sales will go directly to Brian’s medical fund.

THIT...sounds from the fantum jukebox.

about a year ago, goatmother industrial moved out of it's watery grave-type underground workshop beneath bloomington, indiana's russian recording studio....
that seems like a good thing. not that that was a bad thing before, but the action has been go ever since...not that it wasn't before...

screw it! i seem to not be able to write this intro, so here it is!

thit is it!the fantum headress from THIT.

thit is a new-ish addition to the golden glow which emanates from providence-based artist mark rice's ever-sprawling, preter-conglomo art DBA, goatmother industrial...probably one of the most taser factory things on the market.

this sound container is a super fun listen (via myspace for now), and it come decked out with corresponding imagery for each track. a neat package indeed, as many such deals throw-up too much, or fall stupidly short on effort. this is perfect-o, and it effectively relates the art mentality of mr. rice and the goatmother aesthetic. perhaps not in full, as there is ultimately way too much ground to cover there, but this cross section proves to be a fine testament/statement/thing.

so, go jam it out here THIT, and stop by www.goatmother.com to see the big picture or catch some updates on activities.

i recently received my own personal "kevinator" (the title of one of the tracks). i consider myself a lucky motherfucker.my own personal kevinator.

"...did you ever consider randomly murdering dogs? i don't know?"

doraemon lives!

after believing the doraemon solar powered car model had been dead for the past few years, i was proven wrong. doraemon lives!

though a bit weak, with barely enough strength to move itself across the small table (not the big table). this studio is obviously a haven for "green" technology.

i hear that the full scale version has been restored as well!

let's knife!

we like knives.

they like knives.

sean "sci-fi" connery

uhm...movie shit: ok, so i admit, we have netflix. blah, whateva... it's pretty rad in a town where video rental has taken a corporate color to an opaque degree.
it's cool for reasons like this...
i try, and succeed, at finding terrible movies, and recently i've come across a few sean connery fronted sci-fi titles that are simply terrific (terrible and terrific are interchangable terms for me, as many already know).
let's start with 1973's "Zardoz"...... directed by john "Noxzema" boorman, this post-apocalyptic gem has our favorite scotsman running around in a smashingly revealing red leather get-up, chasing after a giant floating stone head. it looks great, but from what i can tell, the story line reads like a bad RPG. incredible!
there are many amazing quotes, many of which have been picked thru the years by outsider sound-making acts..."the gun good...the penis is bad...", etc.

next is "Outland"

, a more discernable low point in the post-Bond career. In 1981, somebody directed this, and actors went along with the idea. the result is a (quite) depressing inter-Sol knock off of "High Noon", which apparently won a Saturn Award...whatever that is. i love it, and that's what i'm trying to convey. my favorite part is when his wife leaves him, and then he talks to peter boyle. i would do the same...great minds think alike.

note: i'm plugging these movies. NOT netflix.

aliens of the devil- a short informative video

as a part of the Not Ugly - Inner Beauty Pageant (part II), we presented, or did our best to present this brief video about aliens of the devil...remember...the band doesn't make any sound?! anyway, it's now online, and probably much easier to access than thru our technical difficulties the other nite. maybe and/or sorry! twas fun! and everybody involved with the event is entirely the best! and here it is...
narrated by Nhoj Daswon, with interview from Mr. Circa. publication himself...Jonathan Jay, with help from the wonderful Ms. Dyer and Ms Knoll...and there are a ton more thanks to hand out than I can gather here!

we like scissors.

we like scissors. we like scissors. we like scissors. we like scissors. we like scissors. we like scissors. we like scissors. we like scissors. we like scissors. we like scissors. we like scissors. we like scissors. we like scissors. we like scissors. we like scissors. we like scissors. we like scissors. we like scissors. we like scissors. we like scissors. we like scissors. we like scissors. we like scissors. we like scissors. we like scissors. we like scissors. we like scissors. we like scissors. we like scissors. we like scissors. we like scissors. we like scissors. we like scissors. we like scissors. we like scissors.

free stuff sucks!

Thanks to a promotional gift from my internet service provider (ISP), I was able to start off my day with a trip to starbucks coffee... As a rule, I almost never buy coffee from shops. I like the coffee I make at home and feel that it is far superior to anything I can get anywhere else...besides that, I’m a cheapskate and believe that such expenditures are a waste. But driven by a lack of coffee beans, a certain urgency, and a gift card, I put on my flip-flops and headed out.

Going to a starbucks in los feliz is like taking a trip back in time. Time seemed to stall somewhere around 1997-99. The line was long, and as a result my head was filled with the ridiculous starbucks lexicon. Words and product descriptions that should never pass the seal of any starbucks store. These people were far too familiar with starbucks speak and thus I felt intimidated and then ultimately antagonistic as a result. They were also in much more of a hurry than I.

The crowd of Hollywood assholes, cultural stalemates, and demanding empty-headed prima donnas were offset by the staff consisting entirely of young Latinas. I felt at ease with their condescending glares and obvious joy in denying patrons of unreasonable demand. And I believe there was a slight connection between us when I simply requested a “Large Coffee”. After procuring my “Large Coffee”, I rushed out, nearly knocking over a young lady with a retrofitted haircut.

Largely, this was not my fault. The slight nudge I gave her at the door was simply compounded by the gravitational effects in play due to the apparent disproportional weight scenario between her bag and her body.

I decided not to take a sip until I return home. To avoid spilling the coffee on the walk back I had to hold the 24 oz. Cup awkwardly out in the front of me. I passed by the usual cast of homeless on my normal path of alleyways and shortcuts home. I felt like a total asshole with my starbucks cup prominently displayed. Even more of an asshole than I normally feel like with my clean clothes and whatnot.

Now I’m drinking the coffee. It’s not that bad. I still have $3 left on the gift card.

not ugly - inner beauty pageant

j-e-remy of d-e-vil with the "background suicide" EP.

not ugly, an extremely multi-faceted inner beauty pageant/talent show/installation/etc., kicked off with it's opening reception last saturday (july 3rd) at DIY GAllery here in wonderful little los angeles. there was plenty of totally taser factory art, performances, and other fun by aliens of the devil, stepfather, the steffens too, collin manning, eddie pepitone, gregg lopez, and others, all curated by the lovely danielle collins.

devon steffens with photos.j. s-h-elley of d-e-vil with 2 fanged up cats.

though the opening is in the bag, the show is still rolling throughout the month of july (during the gallery's open hours), and comes to a spectacular close on saturday july 31st with the second installment of art action pageantry!

aliens of the devil, the new non-audio thrash/dub band from (knee shy), is thrilled as a clam to be a part of the whole goddamn thing! one offering we have conjured up is our new limited edition EP: “Background Suicide”, which features visual remixes of 4 rad songs by 4 killer bands with the word “suicide” in their name (you can probably guess at least one).

if you missed it the first time around, stop by the gallery when they're open, or make a note to check out round 2 on the 31st! there will be more performances, including the aliens of the devil infomercial!

good epic times....

devon steffens with elbow x-ray.

FROM NOT UGLY::: NOT UGLY Inner Beauty Pageant @ DIY GAllery 1549 West Sunset Boulevard Los Angeles, CA 90026 • 213.977.9602 NOT UGLY Inner Beauty Pageant is an exhibit of literary and artistic works published from within our Athenaeum. This first in a series, celebrates those who might go unnoticed due to their natural breast size or their ability to spell potato. We spotlight the splendor of the truth, the strange and the marvelous with staged and framed works that document the high road taken by each of the multi-sexy contestant chosen to compete for The Audience Award and purse of $500. Make your vote count for Keith Niles, Eddie Pepitone, Gregg Lopez, Kate and Devon are The Steffens Too, and Aliens of the Devil stars Jeremy Kennedy & Shelly Harrison. Additional works and support from artists Colin Manning, Terril Lewis, Ben Phen, Peter Soby Jr., STEPFATHER'S Ian Jay, Josh Achziger, Gabriel Mounsey, Danielle Collins and from our host Roger Steffens. Each person that steps into the gallery will receive a Voting Ballot and a Program that describes the Talent and the Art Auction.

Tickets are $10, come with a cocktail and are good for the Talent Show on July 3 and the Talent Show on July 31st. Entrance is $0 from 7-9p. Space is limited. You can reserve tickets in advance at: brownpapertickets.com/event/117511

July 3 • Vote, Art Auction @ 7p with a Talent Show part1 at 10p
July 31 • Vote, Art Auction @ 7p with a Talent Show part2 at 10p
DIY GAllery is open to Vote or Bid on Art Auction Tue-Sat 12pm-6pm
The winner of the Pageant and Art Auction is announced at midnight July 31.

See you there and thank you for supporting art in America.

(knee shy) - "(a)Tonal Destruction's the Only Solution" - Now Available

FMSMPRC Presents:
(a)Tonal Destruction’s the Only Solution
By: (knee shy)
Format: limited edition CD-r in one of a kind handmade packaging
Catalog #: FMSMPRC26

In early 2010 (knee shy), the chosen moniker of the collaborative workings of Los Angeles based artists j. shelley harrison and jeremy kennedy, presented an art/sound installation titled “the Sound of Wall” at Origami Vinyl, a record store/performance space in LA’s Echo Park community.

The piece itself was essentially a large wall mounted string instrument built specifically for the space. The 7-section unit contained in total 111 strings, some strung properly and others prepared with a variety of objects. Amplified both electrically and naturally, it filled the roll of several traditional instrument variants, and encouraged the use of extended technique and improvisation.

“(a)Tonal Destruction’s the Only Solution” was not recorded on “the Sound of Wall”, but during the process of building the piece. The creation of the piece required (knee shy) to look to a number of existing instruments for ideas and more importantly, parts and components. Subsequently, many of these instruments were altered, broken, and otherwise cannibalized by the assemblage.

One such instrument was an upright spinet piano from 1964, the main source of sound during this recording. Starting with the improper removal of the piano’s keys and ending with the cutting of each string inside the body, this field recording captures the torturous and methodic disembowel in its entirety.

Atonal blasts compound with dying chirps as a result of the physical destruction, guided with a mix of care and chaos. Armed with an array of pliers, hammers, saws, snips, and other instruments of destruction, (knee shy) programs an instant arrangement birthed as much in chance as in crafted strokes of violence.

The wood and components taken from the instrument itself have been reused by the artists as raw materials for 4 separate projects to date, including the packaging for this limited release. Other pieces of note include (knee shy)’s “the Sound of Wall”, and j. shelley harrison’s “keys to an eighty-eighth”.

The originally noted “Sound of Wall” installation’s opening event featured an improvised performance, dedicated to Luc Ferrari (whose 83rd birthday coincided with the event), played on the assemblage. (knee shy) sees this as a pre-extension of that composition, and a tribute to Ferrari’s fielding efforts.

“(a)Tonal Destruction’s the Only Solution” is now made available by FMSMPRC as a limited edition release of 30, in a variety of packaging created by the artists from materials recycled from the original piano.

Tyco Riley- (2010)

fmsmprc: myspace.com/fmsmprc

(knee shy): www.kneeshy.com