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DAVID LESTER ART

Normal History Vol. 18: The Art Of David Lester

davidlestervol18Every Saturday, we’ll be posting a new illustration by David Lester. The Mecca Normal guitarist is visually documenting people, places and events from his band’s 25-year run, with text by vocalist Jean Smith.

In the lecture Mecca Normal presents, How Art & Music Can Change The World, I sometimes tell the story of how quilts, hung out to air, were used to assist escaping slaves. Various quilt patterns were code for which way to go, danger ahead and how to dress. Because there is very little written evidence about this practice, historians are reluctant to acknowledge the role codified quilt-making played in the enslavement of Africans in the United States. I am researching the possibility of a psychological pre-disposition in men who gravitate towards history. Do historians lie and obscure the truth more than non-historians? Lying is the intention of one party to disallow the other party from knowing reality. The liar has decided that his objectives are more important than the other party’s experience. Lying generates complex and chaotic results, including the unpredictable new reality the party being lied to participates in. If the truth comes out, the existing false alchemy requires a re-writing of history, but what remains to be documented when there were no authentic experiences? Along gender lines, there are more male historians than female historians, which is maybe why many women gravitate toward editing. Men, through history, have impeded women from telling their own histories—in recent times, by labeling art made by women as confessional or victim-oriented. I tell the story of the quilts because it inspires me. It may be folklore, fable or fiction—it is the story of how art was used to change the world.

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GUEST EDITOR

Under The Covers With Matthew Sweet And Susanna Hoffs: “Prep” By Curtis Sittenfeld

sweethoff100c115The duo of Susanna Hoffs and Matthew Sweet may be the perfect assimilation of vocal chops and instrumental savvy, as shown on a pair of recent albums titled Under The Covers (Shout! Factory), with volume one re-examining big hits from the ’60s and volume two tackling the ’70s. The track record for Hoffs and Sweet speaks for itself. Hoffs’ band, the Bangles, was the only member of the hallowed Paisley Underground scene to sell more than a handful of records, cracking the national top-30 no fewer than eight times from 1986-89. Sweet’s breakthrough album was 1991’s Girlfriend, which paved the way for later power-pop classics like Altered Beast and 100{e5d2c082e45b5ce38ac2ea5f0bdedb3901cc97dfa4ea5e625fd79a7c2dc9f191} Fun. The pair plans to take an acoustic version of their Under The Covers act on the road in September, but in the meantime is guest editing magnetmagazine.com all this week. Read our Q&A with them.

curtis

Susanna Hoffs: I love this book. There are tons of awesome quotes from great novelists that describe and praise Prep and Curtis Sittenfeld better than I could.

Categories
VIDEOS

Film At 11: Bon Iver

For anyone unfamiliar with LaBlogoteque, suffice it to say that Chryde and  Vincent Moon are frenchmen willing to take music videos where no music video has gone before; they follow artists into unlikely and often surprising places for simple and impromptu renditions of their music. This one—an a capella version of Bon Iver‘s “For Emma,” done in a hallway just before a concert—is especially good, and not just because of Justin Vernon’s talent. The best part is the camera pan at 2:00, when you find out you’re not the only one enjoying this intimate performance.

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TIVO PARTY TONIGHT

TiVo Party Tonight: Eels

tivoeels3637Ever wonder what will happen during the last five minutes of late-night TV talk shows? Here are tonight’s notable performers:

The Tonight Show With Conan O’Brien (NBC): Eels
Eels are playing The Tonight Show to promote new album Hombre Lobo (E-Works/Vagrant) and upcoming MySpace giveaway EP Transmissions Sessions 2009, which includes Dylan cover “Girl From The North Country.” Here’s hoping they play rocker “Tremendous Dynamite” tonight.

Categories
GUEST EDITOR

Under The Covers With Matthew Sweet And Susanna Hoffs: Love And Positivity

sweethoff100c116The duo of Susanna Hoffs and Matthew Sweet may be the perfect assimilation of vocal chops and instrumental savvy, as shown on a pair of recent albums titled Under The Covers (Shout! Factory), with volume one re-examining big hits from the ’60s and volume two tackling the ’70s. The track record for Hoffs and Sweet speaks for itself. Hoffs’ band, the Bangles, was the only member of the hallowed Paisley Underground scene to sell more than a handful of records, cracking the national top-30 no fewer than eight times from 1986-89. Sweet’s breakthrough album was 1991’s Girlfriend, which paved the way for later power-pop classics like Altered Beast and 100{e5d2c082e45b5ce38ac2ea5f0bdedb3901cc97dfa4ea5e625fd79a7c2dc9f191} Fun. The pair plans to take an acoustic version of their Under The Covers act on the road in September, but in the meantime is guest editing magnetmagazine.com all this week. Read our Q&A with them.

smileMatthew Sweet: Absolutely underrated, the forces of love and positivity are are all encompassing, begetting more love and positivity wherever they go. Love is cool! Without these qualities, as elusive as they may be, to live is simply a drag! When I’m not happy, I try to address the situation. When I need love, I need it bad!