The Scandinavian countries have frequently set the bar when it comes to efficiency and design over the past century or so. These photos are a very vibrant reminder of those qualities. I find the images almost overwhelmingly inspiring. We can only dream of mass transit so modern, clean, and efficient in the United States, and works of public art here rarely approach the scope of this project in terms of both size and public engagement. You could certainly argue that the recent works of Christo and Jeanne-Claude fit this bill. However, their work is usually temporal and, in its own way, esoteric.
Conversely, the planners and artists of the Swedish Subway System appear to have deliberatley set out to project traditional Swedish folk themes and motifs in a very modern and urban way that reminds me of the output of the members of the Mission School featured in the film/book/exhibit "Beautiful Losers" (esp. Margaret Kilgallen, Barry McGee, Chris Johansen, Clare Rojas). I love the execution but i also love the apparent intention of reminding a community of its past, and humanity, while looking to the future, both artistically and technologically.
p.s. can't figure out where the originals of these photos came from or i would link them. they're all over the interwebs though if you wanna see more.
I've been espousing the virtues of Cypress Grove's Midnight Moon Goat Gouda for years. Now the experts have validated my taste. Head on out to the grocerysto' and pick some up already!
Ryan McGinley directed the video spots for Wrangler's ad campaign in Europe before he started working with Levi's on the Go Forth campaign. I couldn't find the video until just recently. Not quite as amazing as Go Forth but I think it's well done.
Shortly after discovering new artist JBM, I discovered that he would be touring with Grocerystowe favorite, AA Bondy. Shortly after that i discovered the two would playing here in Austin on August 13th. I already bought my ticket.
JBM shares a label in the US with Mountain Man (see previous entry). I'm afraid to admit i was not very familiar with Partisan Records until just recently. They're a small label but have a very solid stable of artists including Deer Tick, Dolorean, and the criminally overlooked group the Standard, as well as those previously mentioned. The album, Not Even in July (official release date in July, but you get an immediate download code by pre-ordering it from partisan) is full of slow burners and features warm but disaffected vocals, with some sublimely recorded, rich guitar sounds.
More Appalachian inspired folk outta Vermont, the state that was kind enough to give us Sam Amidon, Nico Muhly, Doveman, so much maple syrup, and Meredith. Their forth-coming album is being released by those stalwarts of great taste and espousers of the Denton scene, Bella Union.
Band Bio from Bella Union's web-page
Mountain Man is, as decribed by themselves “a creature growing from the mouths of,” Molly Erin Sarle, Alexandra Sauser-Monnig and Amelia Randall Meath. They met at Bennington College in the small town of Bennington, Vermont. It was not until Molly visited Bennington during a term off that the seeds of Mountain Man were set. On hearing Molly playing a song in the living room of their shared house, Amelia demanded she taught it to her, singing Dog Song over and over until Amelia felt she could remember it well enough to teach Alex. When Molly came back to Bennington in the spring, all three sang together for the first time. All equally amazed by the sound they made together, Mountain Man was formed. Each member writes for the band, writing a cappella songs nestled in the tradition of American folk, with the occasional use of an acoustic guitar. Their songs are shaped by three searching voices, encompassing harmonies and a shared belief in and love of the world. They are mutually moved to sing by their love for people, and for trees, birds and mountains, the ocean, the night, the moon, and being a woman.
Here's a lovely little video from Danish atmospheric quartet, Efterklang. Mr. Peter Broderick has a pretty extensive and impressive body of work under both his own name and with Efterklang. This video reveals the quartets tendencies towards pastoral folk and sweeping atmospherics through both the visual imagery and lush string arrangements. I like the juxtaposition of pounding percussion, pop vocals, and bouncing piano tones alongside those other elements. The net result is chamber pop any fan of the genre can get behind.
The video is inspired by the Danish film, The Deer Garden, and was directed by the daughter of the original film's co-director.
Danish film + patriarchal artistic homage + orchestral/pastoral Scandanavian music = A good day at the Grocerystowe
