Tengo una costumbre, una costumbre bastante molesta... es la de abandonar la mayoria de las cosas que empiezo.

Ahora estoy dando vueltas en Internet, bajando una serie y hablando de nada con las personas del msn... también tengo ganas de sacar de la tumba algunas cosas que deje abandonadas, pero me parece que va a quedar en las ganas solamente.

I've been continuing my work on my freeform peyote stitch cuff. Here is a new photo:

I started working in the large Czech fire-polished beads. I'm very pleased with it so far, although there are a few areas I'm not entirely thrilled with. I had mentioned before that I was going to keep working on it through July and then put it aside to work on my Irina project, but I have more than half of it done already, so I think I will keep working on it until it's finished. I didn't think I would get this far so quickly.

I do love working in freeform peyote stitch. It's fun and challenging to make it up as I go along. It does involve a leap of faith, however, in hoping that the piece turns out well, since I never know what the finished piece is going to look like until it's, well, finished.

There are always areas of the work that I'm not entirely happy with, but I've learned not to judge the piece until it's done. As the beadwork progresses it changes my perspective, and a section that I didn't like much may turn out to be quite nice. Of course if you don't like the piece when it's done that's unfortunate, but luckily that's never happened to me.

I started reading the first issue of Sew Somerset, and of course I've already got ideas popping up. One is a bracelet made from individual small rectangles of fabric, each with a fabric transfer of a vintage photo, and embellished with beads, sequins and ribbons. The rectangles are then sewn together with beads in between. That idea was inspired by a similar bracelet by Yvonne Montano. Her bracelet is simple and rustic, while mine will have a more finished look, with printed fabrics and lots of embellishment.

The other idea is for a fabric book. This idea started when I was watching The Universe on the Discovery Channel (I think it was Discovery. I could be wrong though). I love anything - tv shows, books, photos - that has to do with the universe. I am fascinated by the universe and all it contains, and if I was any good at physics I would have become an astronomer.

Anyway, I recently started jotting down words and phrases that I find interesting or intriguing, with the thought of using them in my artwork. I wrote down a lot of stuff while watching The Universe, and one phrase was Ladies Astronomical Society. Now this I partially made up, basing it on my love of the cosmos and Rasputina's alter ego, the Ladies Cello Society. I didn't give it much further thought until I got to the fabric book chapter in Sew Somerset. Then it clicked, and I thought how cool it would be to make a fabric book about a fictitious Ladies Astronomical Society. I haven't worked out all the details yet, or any details for that matter, other than the name and some vague ideas about using vintage photos and star maps.

That's it for now. I'm trying to get to bed early tonight. That means 11 instead of 11:15.

Rasputina is one of my fave bands.  Victorian garbed- rock cellists with irreverent humor

Sadly, they don't seem to have very many high-quality youtube videos. I'm including the following video because it has good quality audio and because it has some photos of the band. Unlike a lot of groups, Rasputina has put a lot of work into their appearance, so be sure to watch the video.

 I also found a beautiful, beautiful, wonderful website that provided me with some of my favorite Rasputina songs.

Thimble Island

Thimble Island is the only song that I clearly remember from the concert I attended, but I clearly remember loving it. And when I got home that night and discovered that it wasn't on the CD that I had purchased, I immediately went to Amazon and bought the CD that it WAS on. This is still one of my favorite Rasputina songs.

Oh Bring Back the Egg Unbroken

This song, on the CD that I purchased at the show, immediately captivated me, much to the dismay of everyone who has ridden in the car with me since. I suspect that it might have been another of the songs that I heard at the show, but at this point I can't remember, and it doesn't really matter. What does matter is that this song draws you in and refuses to release you until it is over. Just listen to it. I dare you.

1816, the Year Without a Summer

The first song on the Oh Perilous World cd, 1816 was my first sober introduction to Rasputina. I always wonder whether a band has chosen the first song for a particular cd for its ability to draw in a new audience, and I believe that in Rasputina's case, this is exactly what happened.

Rasputina is, in my mind, one of the weirdest bands out there, but also one of the most enjoyable to listen to. I highly suggest checking out their website.

I also suggest, if you enjoy their music, that you buy their CDs. I know that you can download their music for free online, and I know that you are making the argument to yourself that as a small band, they should take any promotion that they can get. If you're seriously going to promote the band, and have all your friends listen and then buy cds, then go ahead and illegally download the music. Otherwise, suck it up and buy the CD(s). Small bands need our support.

Also, if you're a Dresden Dolls fan, the wonderful website that I borrowed (stole?) the music for this blog from also has a post from one of their live shows, and it contains a lot of new/unrecorded music. You have to hit the link at the top of page to older posts, but it is well worth it.

And with that, I bid you good day. Bring back the egg, my friend.

To be fair, rap/hip-hop and electronica have done pretty well without the instrument. But inside the rock/pop canon, six strings rule. So it's kind of an interesting exercise to poke around looking for bands contrary, innovative or odd enough to have eschewed the axe, just to see how (if at all) it's affected the sound they've created. This is by no means a comprehensive list (that's what comments are for, people), but these are a few (eight, specifically) that I could muster up.

1. Ben Folds Five
Sort of the Captain Obvious of the category, this trio consisted of Ben Folds (piano/vocals), Robert Sledge (bass) and Darren Jessee (drums). When they hit it big with the moody abortion ballad "Brick" in 1997, much was made over the fact that the missing two of the five seemed to be the guitarists. But that didn't stop them from cranking out some of the best pop songs of the past couple decades, nor has it stopped key-tinkler Folds from having a pretty successful solo career as a pop pianist. It's also seen a subset of other bands try this formula, though not nearly as well (see: Keane).
Album to check out: This is a tough one, but I think overall, I do have to go with 1997's Whatever and Ever Amen, album wise.
Key track: Here, though, I think the '99 single "Army" captures the range of their sound a bit better--gentle melodic choruses, crazy pop vocal verses, even a horn section gets in on the deal.

2. Rasputina
Even if you don't dig this sound, and it isn't for everybody, you've got to admit that a rock band comprised of 3 cellists (backed by drums) is a pretty neat idea. The result is chamber pop that actually sounds like it belongs in a chamber somewhere--it's dark and knotty and, in its own unique way, heavy, all with a certain elegance.
Album to Check Out: By far their best work is their 1996 debut, Thanks for the Ether
Key track: I wouldn't normally put a cover here, but their take on '60s hippie chick Melanie's "Brand New Key" makes the song even weirder and a lot creepier than the already kinda weird original.

3. Morphine
Low, bluesy college rock that switches out a shredder for a saxophonist. The focal sound here is the interplay between the rolling basslines of vocalist Mark Sandman and Dana Colley's intricate lines on layered tenor and baritone saxes. The result is a band that could've fallen into the wake of the post-grunge zeitgeist, but instead made something really memorable and interesting. Unfortunately, Sandman died in 1999, however Colley and drummer Billy Conway would go on to form (the also guitar-less I think) Twinemen with vocalist Laurie Sargent, who are also worth checkin' out.
Album to Check Out: While the band had at least three great albums, their masterpiece is usually considered to be 1993's Cure for Pain.
Key Track: This is another tough one, but the song I always get stuck in my head is the chilled-out groove of "I'm Free Now."

4. Death From Above 1979
A relatively short lived duo that only released one proper album, Jesse Keeler (Bass/Synth) and Sebastian Grainger (Drums/Vocals) prove that rock can, indeed, be brought to the table with only 4 strings in play. Part dance-punk, part distorted noise, the two dudes create a sound that manages to be both heavy and spare at the same time--rawer than the same songs might sound with the addition of a guitarist.
Album to Check Out: As previously mentioned, there's really only the one--2004's awesomely-titled You're a Woman, I'm a Machine.
Key Track: Check out the hook on "Blood on Our Hands" and realize the potential of a distorted bass.

5. Lightning Bolt
Put simply, this shit is one hell of a racket. Like DFA above, this is the sound of a rhythm section gone totally haywire. Where the prior band do root their sound in certain hook-laced tradition, Brians Chippaedale and Gibson push further out into avant noise space. They've recorded tracks over a series of four albums that sound like some kind of mechanical monstrous nightmare eating itself from the inside out.
Album to Check Out: While all their releases have a certain charm, this is a band that gets better with age, so check out the most recent--2005's Hypermagic Mountain.
Key Track: Yes, that is some damn crazy riffage on "Bizzaro Zarro Land." No, it is not a guitar doin' it, I promise.

6. The Tiny
In a completely different direction, there's this fragile-sounding Swedish trio consisting of cello, upright bass and keys/toy pianos/etc. The combination of Ellekari Larsson's sweet, childlike voice and the sparsity of the arrangements leave a haunting, gorgeous impression that's distinctive, even in an overcrowded indie-pop scene.
Album to Check Out: Thus far, the one I've been able to find is the excellent Starring: Someone Like You from 2006, however...
Key Track: ...I found the video for the 2004 single Closer on Youtube and it's so lovely I'm eagerly hunting down their first record.

7. Mates of State
Not only does the duo of Kori Gardner and Jason Hammel not have a standard guitar, it doesn't have a bass either--this is manic pop music driven entirely by drums, keyboards and sugar-sweet harmonies. The result is sparkly and synth-heavy--music that, even during the mellower moments, is painted in bright colors and bold strokes. It can come on a little strong, but even so, it's definitely distinctive and has a certain appeal to it to fans of the Barsuk scene.
Album to Check Out: I'm torn between two, but I think I'm going with the slightly more composed Bring It Back from 2006.
Key Track: There are a number of songs that capture them well, but "For the Actor" seems to do an especially good job with its changing structures and variety of instrumentation.

8. The Apes
A garage-rock band that draws from all the same influences that the White Stripes do, but do it with an organ, a moog, bass and drums. The result is something gritty and dirty, but also psyched out and fuzzy at the same time. This is a band I just recently tripped over (pun intended) so I can't speak to them too much, but it's an interesting variant on what was, for a while, an all too trendy sound.
Album to Check Out: As I say, I'm kind of a neophyte here, but their most recent, this year's Ghost Games, with (apparently) new vocalist Breck Brunson is doin' it for me.
Key Track: Check out "Dr. Watcher" which is like Jack White-meets-Clinic--a pretty cool combination.

Now don't get me wrong, I love me some guitar. A lot. But like everything one loves, it's easy to take for granted, and part of the fun of being an artist is finding ways around those assumptions. Saying goodbye to the guitar is just one of an almost infinite array of routes to doing that and it's always arguable whether or not bands are successful in their efforts, but that, too, is part of the fun of listening to and discovering new music.

Rasputina
Oh Perilous World •••
Filthy Bonnet

Rasputina have been called a lot of things in their time: cello rock, gothic and that all-purpose label, 'alternative'. True, the band doesn't fit comfortably into any definable genre, a fact that contributed to their years in the vast unsigned musical wilderness. Fortunately for us, Columbia Records eventually snapped them up and Rasputina began their odyssey to transform the cello from orchestral relic into something more dynamic. Indeed, one of the most impressive aspects of Rasputina is their ability to demonstrate the mutability of their trademark instrument. Oh Perilous World bears testament to this: from the almost grating buzz of ‘Draconian Crackdown' to ‘A Cage In A Cave's breezy panpipes, it is a genre-spanning collection knit together by the cello.

Lending fresh significance to the title, long-time fans will find that Creager and her rotating crew of musicians (which includes Sarah Bowman and Jonathon TeBeest in this instance following the departure of second chair cellist Zoë Keating) have embraced a whole new perilous world, both musically and ideologically, with the new album. Rather than take listeners on the sinister retrospective we've been accustomed to, for once Creager pursues the here and now. Subjects under her lyrical remit include the hot topic of climate change and, bravely, the menace of al-Qaeda.

‘1816, The Year Without A Summer' draws on traditional Rasputina territory with 19th Century trivia on Mary Shelley and odd meteorological phenomena. Here, cello and suitably vintage harpsichord blends with Creager's distinctive voice, providing an accomplished re-initiation for fans and a good invitation for new listeners. The addictive, thudding ‘Choose Me For A Champion' rather ironically channels speeches from Osama Bin Laden, while ‘Incident In A Medical Clinic' includes a wonderfully eccentric deviation about a minute through. ‘In Old Yellowcake' is arguably the album's best song, elaborating on the rather superfluous interlude that is ‘Old Yellowcake Breaking News'.

Here's where Oh Perilous World disappoints: it lacks the consistency of previous Rasputina fare. The real gems are comparatively few and some tracks, like ‘Oh Bring Back The Egg Unbroken', pick up halfway through for an inspired few minutes but don't quite deliver otherwise. Creager's willingness to experiment with the band's sound is commendable, but you can't help but wish that there were a few more ‘Transylvanian Concubines' or ‘Possum Of The Grottos' lurking around. While standout tracks like ‘1816, Choose Me For A Champion' and ‘In Old Yellowcake' are easily the equal of their earlier work, Rasputina's fifth album could very well be the musical equivalent of a Marmite sandwich.

Siobhan Rooney
UK release date: 21/01/08

My influences are Janis Joplin, Heart, Evanescence, Cher, P!nk, Led Zeppelin, The Who, Nico, Rasputina, Dalida, Nirvana, etc.

Her and I both are on Myspace: I'm Tudorhistoryguy, and she's Alexandra(aka Catherine).  Contact us for more info or about joining.  She's also on Last.fm, as am i.

Yes, the genre seems to have irrevocably changed. And that's good. Now is the time for our seemingly musically-challenged generation to rise up and procure our own melodic movement - rock is literally calling for a revival of sorts from its relative dormancy.

Rock, as a genre, has been loosely defined since its emergence. Perhaps the reason it has been so appealing to the young and the aged alike is due to its limitless reinvention - unrestricted by definitive genre labels such as, 'Electronica' and 'Blues'. In fact, rock says, "Screw that, we'll incorporate a hint of blues here, and a hint of electronica there," while ultimately residing under the utterly ambiguous cloud of 'Rock'n'roll.' Ah, but hasn't rock remained one of the more accessible musical genres - with something to please the pop enthusiast, even down to the last death metal junkie?

Due to this indefinable nature; critics mourn the 'demise' of great rock musicians. It is evident that Jimmy Page has now evolved into a legendary 'god' of the guitar; and most people cannot accept the possibility that another guitarist will ever surpass his seemingly insurmountable talent. Musical greats of the past are readily immortalized and romanticized to the point where we truly believe they cannot be rivaled. Let's not even get started with Jimi Hendrix…

The point is, the music hasn't actually changed, the movement has. Retrospectively, critics and fans of music alike seem to judge the quality of music of a certain time period on its accompanying movements. However, with such careful inspection paid solely to mainstream rock, how can we accurately define an age of music without additional knowledge on its underground and independent musicians? Perhaps I am not alone in this supposition, as rock and popular music today currently seems to be experiencing a minor so-called 'Indie' movement of its own. Originally, the term 'Indie' was not coined as a genre of music; yet it has grown in widespread popularity and is often used to reference the distinct sound of groups whose music bears even a little similarity to the original Indie bands. One has to appoint credit where it is due in the music industry; this supposed 'Indie' emergence is a sly move on their behalf. Not only is the music not truly independent, it is clandestinely mainstream and typically unimaginative. It is a movement predominately based upon a pop-punk/power pop style and commercial success, rather than ingenuity. It is shallow. On a more troublesome note, it is often difficult to define; where one individual will declare a band as 'Indie', another will say otherwise. Will our future generations truly reminisce of the 'glory days' of supposed 'Indie', when bands such as Fall Out Boy, Hellogoodbye, Panic! At the Disco, and The Plain White T's reigned supreme? Compared to influential, groundbreaking movements such as the emergence of Punk, Glam, and Psychedelic Rock; 'Indie' is miniscule, unaffecting, homogenous. No wonder so many believe that rock has suffered its sad demise!

The same accounts for 'Alternative Rock'. As far as I am concerned, when bands produce the same mediocre content time and time again, the label 'Alternative Rock' is slapped on their records and they immediately experience widespread mainstream success - which is why every instance that I spend perusing the music section at Target, Nickelback records are continually sold out.

There is a reason why Queen never had a truly definitive sound; why David Bowie continues to funkify his listeners - and still experienced success and respect. They allowed themselves to evolve, to adapt to various genres, to experiment with sound, and to perfect their showmanship. Instead of being labeled as fickle or superficial - as most artists who suddenly change their sound today do so, in order to appeal to mainstream tastes - they proved themselves to be veritable, as evidenced by hints of distinction and lyrical content, while exploring the realm of music and pushing its boundaries. They survived on the fringe of popular music - not quite mainstream, yet known and well-respected. And that is where you will find most great music exists today.

Compare Pink Floyd and The Beatles, for example: the former more obscure, the latter almost criminally overplayed - yet both were prominent musical champions of their time. I admire both artists; however, an objective point of view clearly dictates that Pink Floyd possessed a broader technical and musical talent than the widely cherished Beatles.

Each rock movement pushed forward towards a new, unique sound, and prospered. As new musicians continually look to the past for inspiration, very few gaze decisively towards the future. We are stuck in the age of wannabe rock stars jamming out dull riffs; and singing about parties and girlfriends. These days, it seems any prepubescent adolescent can pick up a guitar and decide to 'make it big' with simply quasi-talent. With our image-obsessed, materialistic society, music has undeniably suffered the consequences. A melodically-ignorant common citizen would much rather leisurely listen to an awesomefunkydancebeat than an intellectually and emotionally challenging (as well as rocking!) work of art. Which is precisely why the former receives more airplay. Granted, every self-respecting rock'n'roll artist needs their funk-epic-masterpiece ("Another One Bites The Dust" - Queen, "Fame" - David Bowie, etc.).

Our minuscule movement will most likely be forgotten in the future as grander, more talented frontmen take the stage of rock. Surprisingly, most good new music has recently been exported from Britain; perhaps America will experience another 'British Invasion' of sorts. Well, one could only hope.

As long as passionate, intellectual, skilled, and forward-looking bands such as Radiohead, The Mars Volta, Coldplay, Muse, The White Stripes and The Strokes continue to exist (amongst many others), rock has not yet faded into obscurity and mediocrity. Our generation may not have U2, but we have Coldplay; we may not have Queen, but we have Muse; we may not have Pink Floyd, but we have The Mars Volta. The 21st century rock scene is shaping towards one of lush soundscapes, ceaseless energy, and boundary-pushing experimentation. From the shrieking growl and desperate yelp of Karen O of the boundlessly vigorous Yeah Yeah Yeahs, to the lilting, ethereal tones of Sigur Ros or Devics; this younger musical generation has much to offer. If that's not your cup of tea, listen closely to the wittily intelligent historical banter from Melora Creager of the steam punk three-piece, Rasputina. Or experience rock history in the making as the Finnish heavy metal group Apocalyptica, who've spend a decade re-inventing the cello (their primary medium of musical expression), suddenly sexify this age-old instrument.

The semblance of respectable rock which continues to exist provides not only a breath of fresh air to the hopeless, but a frantic, needing gulp of invigorating and indispensable talent to the nonbelievers. Through these utterly under-hyped bands, the sound of the future is beginning to unfold, and damn, does it sounds good.

The weather has been crazy the past few days - sunny and warm one minute, cloudy and cool the next, then it rains for ten minutes, then it's sunny again. This evening it was sunny, cloudy, and raining all at the same time, and we were lucky enough to have a rainbow as the result. It was beautiful; there were two rainbows, but one was quite faint. The other one was so bright though it was amost glowing. We stood out on the porch and took pictures, and Lily called them me-mo, and the rain was falling very gently. It was lovely.

In one of the Beading Daily newsletters from last week there was a discussion of music and beading - what kind of music beaders listen to while beading and how music can provide inspiration for beadwork. I always listen to music if I am beading in my studio. My favorite music artists are Rasputina, Jewel, Sarah McLachlan, Joni Mitchell, and my absolute favorite, Tori Amos.

Listening to music is like being in another world (a much more pleasant one, sometimes!). There's passion, drama, love, joy, sorrow. When I sit down at my worktable and put in a cd and pick up my beading, I turn off the regular world and I can be, for a short time anyway, an Artist. It's my time. And the rhythm of the music definitely influences the speed at which I bead - songs that have a lot of energy get my fingers flying!

Music also offers inspiration - I get ideas for jewelry and collage pieces from the songs. I have some bracelets in mind that are inspired by a couple of Tori Amos' songs, and I have a book in mind based on a Rasputina song. I always thought maybe it was a little strange to want to turn a song into a bracelet, but several readers in the newsletter showed their works that were inspired by music, so I'm not alone. I guess inspiration is everywhere.

My mom recently bought a cd from Digital Imagery Plus that contains thousands of vintage/antique children's photographs. They are mostly girls and most of the photos are quite lovely. She lent the cd to me so I started going through all of the photos and copying the ones that I like best. Of course being the obsessive person I am I have to look at every single photograph because God forbid I miss anything. Here are a couple:

These photos are just what I need for my above-mentioned book idea. I got this idea from the song "Girls' School" by Rasputina, from their Frustration Plantation album. The song is about a Victorian girls' school where the staff is severe, the girls are taught dancing tips and scorn along with math, and several girls make a daring escape. I want to turn this story into a book, using the vintage photos for the students and teachers. I plan to write a little story about each person, while incorporating the song's lyrics as well.

The album "No, Virginia," is companion to the duo's second full length album, "Yes, Virginia" (titled in reference to an 1897 editorial reply in the New York Sun to a letter about the existence of Santa Claus---"Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus."). The songs are left over from the "Yes, Virginia" recordings, along with b-sides and compilation releases. The duo is releasing a digital version of this album on June 10, 2008. The digital release will feature three bonus tracks. Check for yourself. 

Quarters for the songs: Night Reconnaissance; Sorry Bunch; The Kill; The Mouse and The Model; Ultima Esperanza.

Worth listening, if you like: The Tiger Lillies; Cat Power; ... And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead; Antony & The Johnsons; Bauhaus; Tori Amos; Rilo Kiley; Rasputina; Cocteau Twins; Joy Division; Fiona Apple; Evanescence.

it might work.

So anyway, I was reading a blog on DeviantART and someone had posted about this one band called Rasputina. Its so hardcore. They are like a Gothic style but guess what their main instrument is.. a cello. yeah, thats so wicked. Their song Transylvanian concubine is the first song I listened to. If there are any Buffy fans out there you would like them. They played this song in the 3rd (I think) season. it's a
bout vampires :D It reminds me of Stephenie Meyer's twilight series. the vampires are stereotypical in the song though. Stephenie's vampires are totally different. I also like their song Momma was a Opium Smoker. Check those out :)

Ahh, I woke up with the biggest pain in my neck this morning! I actually woke up and told the guy I like to rub my neck. He wasn't there. Then my sister started yelling at e and I was yelling "where is he?!"... he was never there hahaha. I wake up funny. I now have a headache.

I actually want to go to school. It's more fun there. once I get ungrounded it will be the same old "WHY THE HELL AM I HERE?!" thing.

Oh, P.S. I love Brandini Shanaynay :D

Peace.

What I thought was the only photo of the surprise encore of members of Espers and Fern Knight joining Rasputina on stage was also captured in a vintage photo shoot. Margie, the cellist for Fern Knight writes in:

Hello,
Margie here, cellist/Fern Knight, saw the pic you posted (taken by my husband at the show) of the extended Rasputina. We did a vintage Polaroid shot; someone posted it here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/42319220@N00/2263821677/in/pool-dancesofvice

Cheers,
M.

I recommend going to check out the rest of the photos!

           

             A couple of months ago, I went to see an exhibit of paintings and sculptures by the Los Angeles artist Camille Rose Garcia, whose art can best be described as painfully, gothically, cute.  She co-ops a 1970s children’s book illustrative style, tones down the colours, and ads lots of black glitter to make art commentary on all the usual suspects- famine, depression, war, global warming, and how evil Disneyland is.  The characters in her paintings are usually girl children, who are emaciated, puking up their souls, and looking sadly sweet with their sunken eyes, lined in black (example on right.) 

Garcia’s Goth-Lolita style is in good company in the art world, with people such as Mijn Schatje (left)  and Trevor Brown (right)  painting little girl waifs, who are so sweet looking that it’s uncanny and disturbing.  Beyond the realm of strictly fine art, there are the numerous spawn of Wednesday Adams, such as Emily Strange, Ruby Gloom, American McGee’s sadistic Alice, and various Tim Burton characters.  Also notable are gothic toy lines such as “Living Dead Dolls,” and the many gothic dolls made by individual artists, (Garcia also has a set of dolls out.)  Musically, Rasputina provide the perfect soundtrack to the artwork of Camille Rose Garcia and company.  Rasputina are a Victorian inspired cello band, who play eerily lush pseudo rock/pop songs, often accompanied by creepy samples of children singing nursery rhymes and other Halloween-esque sound effects.  Quite a few of their lyrics deal with the corruption (sexual and otherwise) of pre-teen girls, with much of the corruption being initiated by the girls themselves.

(Ruby Gloom, Emily the Strange, Wednesday Adams, Camille Rose Garcia Dolls)

 The juxtaposition of the supposed sweetness of children (especially little girls) with the world’s corrupting forces isn’t exactly a new theme. The Victorians, for all their romanticization of childhood, didn’t always necessarily portray the time very nicely.  Victorian tales such as Alice in Wonderland, the Wizard of Oz, and Peter Pan fairly revelled in claustrophobic insanity.  Alice, Dorothy, and Wendy, who are all innocence personified, must each journey through a mad fantasy land which is essentially the corrupt adult world seen through a child’s eye; essentially they are grappling with growing up and navigating bizarre adult situations for the first time.  Finally, each girl consciously chooses to enter the adult world and embrace the corruption, rather than to remain scared, confused children. 

The difference between Victorian portrayals of childhood and the Goth-Lolita themes of today is of course that Alice, Dorothy, and Wendy were sweet girls who are battling against their evil environments, each ultimately loosing, whereas Wednesday Adams, Emily Strange, Ruby Gloom and the host of others are themselves already corrupted and gothic and what’s more, they all enjoy it.  In an interview in Nude magazine with the aforementioned artist Trevor Brown, the interviewer makes an interesting point when he ( or she?) says “Childhood is classed as a time of innocent discovery, but in hindsight it’s more a period of destructive curiosity, with a child constantly pushing and testing their boundaries and limitations, frequently in the most horrible ways.”   Thus each child is his or her own corrupting force; the child doesn’t want to remain innocent; the adult world isn’t forced upon the child (most parents would probably happily keep their children safe and innocent forever,) rather the child can’t wait to enter the adult world of sin and debauchery. 

The growing acceptability and embrace of Goth-Lolita art is paralleled by an interest in childhood in other areas of our culture.  Participants in rave culture were practically obsessed with their own childhoods and used artefacts from their youths, such as bright, baggy clothing, schoolchild backpacks, cartoon characters, candy, stuffed toys, and pacifiers to represent themselves.  As rave culture spread beyond underground dance halls, there was a period during the 90s when all things childish and 80s were terribly hip.  As a highschool student in America during the late 90s, I remember Winnie the Pooh tee-shirts and toys being extremely popular among girls especially.  TV programmes such as “I love the 80s” and “I love the 90s” and internet memes such as “You know you were a kid in the 90s if…” continue to capitalize on societal nostalgia for all things childhood as it seems that we are a generation which is loathe to move into adulthood. 

It may be that the emergence of Goth-Lolita art is simply a version of childhood nostalgia for the Goth crowd, and this is likely the case with some of the Goth-Lolita merchandise knocking around.  And it is also likely that some of this art can accounted for by pure gothic shock value.  After all, what is more awful than seeing the supposed innocence of childhood drenched in blood; such an image must be irresistible for a sub-culture which at times thrives on shocking normal society.  But beyond the nostalgia and shock value, which may be a part of this art trend at times, I think there is a deeper thread of commentary running through the movement- that childhood isn’t necessarily a wonderful time in life.  Childhood (even a good childhood) can be sweet and happy but it is also a dark, unsure, and downright scary period in life.  To ignore this fact and to give children angelic status denies children the right to have feelings, to be upset, and to be cruel; it denies children their humanity and devalues their experiences during their formative years.

                       (Trevor Brown art)

Sin temor a equivocarme, he llegado a considerar a Melora Creager como uno de esos ejemplos musicales a seguir (de hecho, ella fue una de las razones para empezar a estudiar el violoncello). Ella empezó sus estudios de música a los 5 años, el cello a los 9 años. Lo dejó para estudiar fotografía y después, cual hijo pródigo, recupera los estudios del instrumento y desde entonces se ha dedicado a la música y curiosidades varias. Ella es compositora y ha trabajado con mucha gente a lo largo de su carrera. Entre esas colaboraciones está la que tuvo con Nirvana en su tour In Utero. Ya con Rasputina, pues ha trabajado con Marilyn Manson (quien también les ha hecho un par de remixes [Transilvanian Concubine]). Por igual, tienen un disco de covers deliciosos, donde se incluye Rock And Roll de Led Zeppelin y Wish You Were Here de Pink Floyd.

Rasputina (actualmente solo están Melora Creager y Jonathon Tebeest [batería]) tiene canciones fuera de lo común. Lo digo porque cuando empecé a escucharles con atención y fui empezando a formar su título de “una de mis bandas favoritas”, noté que tratan de romper con ese esquema de tornar al “amor” el eje central en todo trabajo, lo cual me pareció precioso (digo “tratan” porque a veces es difícil despegar semejante pasión de estas cosas). Sus canciones hablan de hechos históricos, anécdotas, escenas cotidianas, etc. Por ejemplo, Howard Hughes (del disco Thanks For The Ether) está, efectivamente, inspirada en el caballero aviador que tenía trastorno obsesivo-compulsivo. Mr. E. Leon Rauis (mismo disco) está inspirada en una foto blanco y negro que Melora Creager encontró en su ático. Ambas canciones de mis favoritas.

Por otra parte, es una pena decir que no he tenido la oportunidad de ir a un recital del grupo (distancia, poco dinero, remota posibilidad que vengan a México, ustedes escojan), pero en verdad que me encantaría. Su show consiste en que las mujeres (eso sí, las cosas prohibidas en su agrupación son los hombres cellistas [por eso es “The Ladie’s Cello Society”] y tampoco guitarras [ja!]) estén vestidas con corsés representando la moda femenina de antaño en gran expresión. Peinados extravagantes, maquillaje escandaloso y adornos por todos lados. El hombre (en percusiones) sale también con ropa elegantemente extravagante.

En un principio el grupo estaba conformado por 6 cellistas incluyendo Melora. Un dato curioso de esto es que esos cellistas los encontró ella por medio de anuncios en el periódico. Este dato curioso me demuestra que uno siempre, siempre encontrará razones para vivir en el lugar y época incorrectos (¿Te imaginas? Abriendo el periódico para matar el tiempo y encuentras El Anuncio... Snif...)

Como último dato, vayan a su sitio en internet. Tiene una biografía más detallada, fotos de tooodas las personas que han estado en el grupo, noticias, imágenesby mercancía, sección que es mi favorita. Los accesorios publicados ahí están hechos por Melora Creager. Hace muchísimo tiempo estaba en venta un collar que ella hizo con una cuerda rota de violoncello.

En fin damas y caballeros, que les sea de provecho.

Disco de covers, donde se presenta:

- Bad Moon Rising (Creedence Clearwater Revival)
- Wish You Were Here (Pink Floyd)
- Tourniquet (Marilyn Manson)
- Fire & Ice (Pat Benatar)
- This Little Piggy (tradicional)
- All tomorrow’s Parties (Velvet Underground)
- Rock And Roll (Led Zeppelin).

--

Por suerte, encontré toda la discografía y me pareció recomendable, para la gente que le empiece a gustar el asunto. Para los curiosos, también pongo Dumb de Nirvana, colaborando Melora creager (que realmente sólo hace acompañamiento con el cello, pero suena bastante interesante). En cuestión de discos, recomiendo ampliamente Thanks For The Ether.
Y, bueno, creo que no hay más qué decir que ¡Disfrutad!

Nirvana - Dumb (With Melora Creager)

Rasputina - Thanks For The Ether (1996)

Rasputina - How We Quit The Forest (1998)

Rasputina - Cabin Fever (2002)

Rasputina - Frustration Plantation (2004)

Rasputina - Oh! Perilous World (2007)

Discografía Gracias a Psylence [Taringa!].

1. Rock and Roll
2. All Tomorrow’s Parties
3. This Little Piggy
4. Tourniquet
5. Wish You Were Here

Rock and Roll immediately starts with a fun beat and then the cellos come in, imitating guitars. Gritty vocals tell you how much the group misses rock an roll and how long it’s been since they’ve had it. Let me tell you, Melora Creager provides the sound perfect for a rock song. My favorite part is the “Ayyohhey’s” and “Ohyeah’s” near the end.
Grade: 7

In contrast to the previous song, All Tomorrow’s Parties sound like a hangover morning (not that I would know, I’m just saying my thoughts). Melora Creager voice is so low. I wonder if she’s a tenor, but I’m unsure because she can get some clear higher notes.
Grade: 8

This Little Piggy was giggle inducing. The vocals are really the nursery rhyme, for the most part, until Melora Creager asks questions about the fate of the pigs. It’s a very cute/dark track.
Grade: 8

Tourniquet was my least favorite song on this mini-album, it’s just…boring. The cello pitches and their distortion are just annoying, and the drum beats that sometimes come up don’t seem to fit. This song jumps around far too much, and the lyrics are confusing: “I am your tourniquet.” Just not a very good track in my opinion.
Grade: 3

The final track Wish You Were Here is a cover of the same song by Pink Floyd. And it is BEAUTIFUL. I cannot say how good it is. It is definitely the most classically influenced song I have ever heard from them, and this is obvious in the beginning of the song. If you listen to onesong on this mini-album, let it be Wish You Were Here.
Grade: 9

Over-all grade: 7 out of 10

Next review: Cat Stevens, "Foreinger"

Christian hatte am 13.12. Geburstag und er bekam von uns ein Fahrrad geschenkt, welches Klio und Daniel besorgt haben. Am besten, ich beginne am Anfang.

Christian feiert seine Gäste

Nach meinem 4stündigen Diagnostischen Praktikum von 16 bis 20 Uhr, radelte ich schnell nach Hause, da Christians Überraschungs-Party-Gäste sich um 20:30 Uhr vor Christians Haus treffen würde. Zuhause fand ich eine hektische Thea vor (die finde ich häufiger.-) welche sich paar Minuten vorher überlegt hatte, Waffeln zu backen; sie wollte nicht mit leeren Händen zu Christian gehen. Nebenbei hat sie noch schnell einen Obstsalat gezaubert.
Grob geschätzt pünktlich verspätet kamen wir vor dem Haus an und sahen noch eine zwielichtige Gestalt ein Fahrrad eine Böschung runter abstellen. Die zwielichtige Gestalt stellte sich als Klio raus. Vor dem Haus wurden von allen noch Luftballons aufgeblasen und dann ging es hoch zum Christian. Stark überrascht öffnete er die Tür zu unserer Kakophonie aus "Oh du Fröhliche" und "Happy Birthday". Danach durfte er Klios kryptische Karte entziffern und sein Fahrrad finden - zum Glück war Klio ja da, sonst hätte es niemals jemand gefunden, wenn wir nicht gesehen hätten, wo es abgestellt wurde. Dann saßen wir gemütlich drinnen und hatten Spaß mit Fusseln und Luftballons.
Christian freute sich und irgendwann gingen Thea und ich wieder.

In dem A&O Seminar in dem ich sitze und in dem ich ohne Patricia, Anne und Klio total abstinken würde, weil ich nie für die Klausur lerne und die Fragen für die wöchentliche Gruppenarbeit in letzter Zeit fast gar nicht mehr selber beantworte, hat mich ein fremder Mann angesprochen.
Er war graugelockt und fasanartig gekleidet und einen Koffer hatte er auch. Er setzte sich neben mich, sah meinen MP3-Player und fragte mich sehr umständlich, und und wie es möglich ist, iTunes M4A-Format in MP3 zu verwandeln, da sein Player keine M4As spielt. Während er mir sein Problem schilderte, setzte sich ein Mädel neben ihn und sprach ihn an. In den ersten Worten meiner Antwort sagte er "Entschuldigung", drehte sich weg von mir und sprach mit ihr.
Sowas kann ich auf den Tod nicht ausstehen ... okay, so schlimm ist es nicht, aber schon sehr ätzend. Das ist auch schon das Ende der Anekdote über den fasanartigen Mann. Er drehte sich dann nochmal zu mir und hörte halbaufmerksam meine Antwort.

Passend zu A&O: Ich werde Thorsten.
Thorsten und Andi P. beginnen Anfang nächsten Jahres ihr Auslandssemester in Barcelona und somit wird Thorstens Stelle als Hiwi in der A&O frei. Thorsten wurde gefragt, ob er jemanden für diese Stelle kennt und er wandte sich an mich.-) Abgesehen vom Umgang mit Plone wären meine Aufgaben die selben, die ich auch Zuhause an meinem Rechner (und dem von Thea, und dem meiner Schwester, und dem meines Bruders, und denen meiner Eltern und denen meiner Freunde) erledige: Problemlösen und Geräte wie Software zum laufen bringen.
Habe heute (Dienstag den 18.12. ... wer weiß, wann ich den Eintrag blogge) eine Mail bekommen in der ich gefragt wurde, wann ich denn Zeit für ein Vorstellungsespräch hätte. Am Donnerstag um 14 Uhr ist es soweit.

Gleich geht es zu Anne und Sven auf den Geburtstag, über den schreibe ich eventuell  nächstes Mal schreiben werde.

Hier folgen die nun üblichen Links, die ich so angesammelt habe.

Musik

• Ich fand das Lied der aktuellen Dolce & Gabbana Jewelery Werbung ganz nett ... schon wieder. Anfangs war es gar nicht so leicht das Lied zu finden, weil man nur die Textzeile "dance music for people who want tomorrow's music today" zur Verfügung hat. Google hat nur ein wenig nützliches Resultat ausgespuckt - für andere Suchmaschinen war ich zu faul - aber die Zeit hat das Problem gelöst. Ich fand auf einer mutmaßlich spanischen YouTube-Seite Interpret und Titel des Liedes: Stylophonic - Stylophonic'r U Experienced.
  In der letzten D&G Werbung hatten sie von Stylophonic "Dancefloor" gespielt, welches ich auch schon gut fand und erst noch ausfindig machen musste.
  Auf der Suche nach dem aktuellen Lied, bin ich jedoch auf viele Kontroversen gestoßen. Viele Amerikaner regen sich darüber auf, das sich am Ende der Werbung, wider Erwarten, zwei Männer treffen und küssen. Ich fands ganz nett, das sich mal zwei Männer in einer Werbung geküsst haben aber weiter hat mich das dann auch nicht interessiert. Wie gesagt, regen sich Amerikaner darüber auf aber sie finden es schön anzusehen, wenn sich in der selben Werbung, zwei Frauen küssen.

• Über die Hype Machine fand ich von der Gruppe Rasputina, das Lied "Cage In A Cave" und fands großartig. Die Gruppe sieht ... seltsam aus: zwei Hippie-Bräute und ein Waldschrat. Die Musik ist aber gut, klingt in etwa wie fröhlichere Dresden Dolls und Schandmaul - sofern ich das beurteilen kann, da ich von Schandmaul nur "Käpt'n Coma" kenne und gut finde.
  Über SeeqPod könnt ihr euch weitere Lieder von Rasputina anhören. (Beide Online-Dienste habe ich bereits in meinem letzten Eintrag vorgestellt)

• Noch nicht erwähnt habe ich BeeMP3, eine Suchmaschine, die MP3-Dateien im Internet findet.

Trailer

• Der erste offizielle Iron Man Trailer ist draußen. Passend dazu gibt es einen Artikel auf Cracked.com, über Comicverfilmungen die in der Mache sind und weshalb sie gestoppt werden sollten.

• Ganz nett sah auch Hancock aus,. Ein schäbiger Superhelden-Film mit Will Smith.

• Noch ein wunderbarer Trailer: Cloverfield. Mann weiß nicht mehr darüber, als dieser Teaser-Trailer zeigt.

Videos

• Ich habe gelesen, das sämtliche South-Park-Folgen bald frei zum Download im Internet stehen. Wenn es soweit ist, ist die South-Park-Homepage der richtige Ort. Solange gibt es dort schon mal einige Clips zum Runterladen und freuen.

• Wie ein Video aussieht, wenn man 8 Jahre lang, täglich ein Foto dafür schießt, sieht man auf dieser Homepage:  The Adaption to my Generation - A Daily Photo Project.

• Es gibt Menschen, die Videospiele solange spielen, bis es einfach nur noch unglaublich ist, ihnen dabei zuzusehen. Auf Games Radar gibt es eine Rangliste von 10 solcher Video.

• wwiTV - Internationale Auflistung von Fernsehsendern, die auch onlineübertragen.

• Noch ein bisschen ungelenk aber schon mal ein Anfang: Ein mechanisches Exoskelet, welches die Körperkraft verstärkt.

• Bei TED habe ich ein nettes Video über eine neue Fotosoftware gefunden. Wenn ihr das Video toll fandet, dann könnt ihr die Software auch selbst bei Microsoft Live Labs Photosynth © ausprobieren.

Spiele

• Ein Klassiker zurückgekehrt als Browser-Spiel: Lemmings.

• Auf Kongregate habe ich Tactical Shooter entdeckt. Man spielt einen Scharfschützen, der - leider viel zu wenige - Aufträge bekommt, um kriminelle Strichmännchen auszuschalten. Ich finds toll.-)

• Ihr könnt zwar kostenlos nicht im Vollbild spielen, aber das macht eigentlich nichts: Bei Gametap könnt ihr euch den Player runterladen und Gratis Spiele wie Metal Slug spielen.

Neuigkeiten

•  In Deutschland sind sogenannte "social sites" so unbekannt wie das sogenannte "Web 2.0", auch wenn ständig darüber gesprochen wird. Am populärsten wird hier wohl das StudiVZ sein, wo mich Thea wieder eingeschrieben hat. Nun plant Google (und Yahoo) auf Basis von Googlemail, eine eigene social site.

• Laut diesem Artikel, kann man vermuten, das Google ebenfalls eine Art Magazin plant. Mitglieder können dann Artikel schreiben, welche eventuell ihren Weg in den Druck finden. Ähnlich wie Neon beim Stern.
• Ergänzend zum Thema habe ich noch einen großartigen längeren Artikel (er ist sehr schön geschrieben und strukturiert), der 10 Mythen über Zeitungen demontiert und wie Zeitungen heute aussehen sollten\werden.

Delay (released by Important Records on September 18, 2007 ) is Julia Kent’s debut solo album.Julia is a super cool Canadian cellist best known as one of Antony’s Johnsons but she has also been part of cello group Rasputina and I just saw her playing beautifully with a ambient-drone band Blind Cave Salamander (see my review on Last.fm).

I love the sound of cello but even so I thought a solo album may be a bit on the heavy side.

The publicity for her debut also sounds a bit forbidding; this says that the record was :“Inspired by airports and the private emotional worlds that we create amid the disorientations and disjunctions of travel“.

Rest assured, however, that this is a warm and affirmative album where tracks are interspersed with ‘found sounds’ from airports making it a good record to listen to straight through and invent your own travel narrative while waiting for the plane.

The band's called Rasputina, who play what may be best described as gothic cello rock. The song is The New Zero, from the album How We Quit The Forest. They're kind of an obscure band for an English guy to have heard of, but one of my American exes was into them and gave me the album as a present, years ago. The video is a fan-made effort, but it looks great. So here it is:

Zoë Keating is a Canadian-born cellist and composer based in Portland, Oregon. She played second-chair in cello-rock band, Rasputina, from 2002-2006. According to her biography, in her solo performances & recordings (particularly the ongoing project she calls "One Cello x 16") she uses live electronic sampling & repetition in order to layer the sound of her cello, creating rhythmically dense musical structures. She has been described as a one-woman string quartet & it sounds great!

Her 2005 album "One Cello x 16: Natoma" is also partially streamable here.

Official Site | MySpace

My friend Kim had an extra ticket to see Belle and Sebastian at the Orpheum Theater in Boston a couple of years ago for their Dear Catastrophe Waitress tour. I'd listened to them intermittently since college and had never gotten the chance to see them live. Amy had introduced me to If You're Feeling Sinister, with songs like "Stars of Track and Field" and "Get Me Away From Here, I'm Dying". I'd heard there were, like, a dozen people on stage, which wouldn't seem surprising if you knew their music, with the lush strings, guitars and piano. The opportunity, and company, was too good to pass up.

Kim and I sat in one of the balconies, looking down on the stage from what seemed a great height. These setups always give me vertigo, because as soon as you stand up it seems that the rake of the seats plummets below you. One false move could send you tumbling a hundred feet before you hit a chair. You want to press your back to the stairs, as if on a building ledge, and keep looking straight out at the ornate proscenium. The ceiling is much closer than anything that gilded and embossed and horizontal should be, and it only impresses upon you further how little there would be to reach out for if you fell. So staying seated seemed like the right thing to do.

The opening act was an unusual one, to say the least. They're called Rasputina, and they are a trio of two cellos and a drummer. They're a steam-punk, consumptive-Victorian-style group who specialize in corsets and warbling, creepy, haunted original pieces like "My Little Shirtwaist Fire", about child laborers trapped in a textile factory inferno. Yikes. However, they're also fond of renditions of "classical" pieces as well. One such piece began with a galloping rhythm, bows bouncing off strings, then sliding into a sinister minor half-step that seemed a little too familiar. We turned to each other in still-dawning disbelief, and voices around us muttered "oh, no WAY!" under their breaths. Before we knew it the distortion-pedal strings were roaring through Heart's Barracuda. You should be listening to that, too.

Not exactly what you'd expect to open a show by a twee pop orchestra from Scotland, but it worked. What I expected even less, though, was the effect the audience would have on the band. As a typical Boston crowd, we were seated when the opportunity presented itself. The venues that I'd attended seemed to be outfitted for a certain mode of listening. The Middle East Club in Cambridge has a small upstairs room, a large downstairs, and a corner in the restaurant, depending on the size, sound, and nature of the act/crowd who came to see them. The Paradise on Commonwealth was bigger, and The Avalon on Lansdowne bigger still, but they're all standing-room only. When you finally got to see your band at the Somerville or Orpheum Theaters, the seating seemed to indicate a space for acts that you really went to listen to, not for bouncing around and headbanging. These were for sophisticated acts, for grown-ups.

So when two girls in their early twenties popped up several rows in front of us as the second song started, Kim and I were having none of it. They were just selfishly blocking the view, and we bellowed "SID'DOWN!!" almost as soon as they'd reached full height. They did, but soon could contain themselves no longer, and dancing in their seats proved insufficient. "SID'DOWN!!" we yelled again, and one of them half-heartedly turned, on her way back to her seat, and frustratedly shot back a "Get UP...!" to us before slouching down in defeat.

It was a great show, but even the singer had to admit that our seatedness freaked him out, and he was going to dance, himself, if that was okay with us. We cheered him on and he threw his whispy frame about with joyful abandon. But we, being the dutiful, reserved New Englanders, let him have all the fun. We were there to bask in the band's glorious presence and let the waves of pop perfection wash over us.

The song in the car at lunch today reminded me of that show, but I hadn't let the lyrics intrude on that memory until today.

I could dance all night like I'm a soul boy
But I know I'd rather drag myself across the dance floor
I feel like dancing on my own
Where no one knows me, and where I
Can cause offence just by the way I look

I don't know what a soul boy is, exactly, but those girls knew what the rest of the verse was all about. What would have been so bad, aside from the backache and fatigue later, with letting go and grooving our stodgy butts around? It must be hard to get all your friends together to play fun, bouncing, joyous music, only to have the audience prefer an academic appreciation to a physical one. Those girls, who clearly had no intention of hogging the view for themselves, just wanted to do with the live music, in the very presence of their beloved band, what they'd done with their CDs in their bedrooms. Dance. And it's to them that I offer my apology. I'm sorry, girls. You were right. It was we who should have gotten up and loved the band back.