May 2, 2013
2FL VIDEO: Jason Silva's The Beginning of Infinity
by John Bloner Jr.
When the Voyager space probes were sent on their missions, like the launching of a bottle into a cosmic ocean, said Carl Sagan, they carried discs with them that contain music (Mozart and Chuck Berry), spoken greetings from world cultures and images to represent our beautiful blue home. Should NASA or some private entrepreneur wish to fling another bottle into the deep dark galactic sea, I hope they send Jason Silva's reveries about art, science and wonder inside it, so other sentient beings may encounter this new breed of philosopher, billed as "Part Timothy Leary, part Ray Kurzweil, and part Neo from 'The Matrix".
http://vimeo.com/29938326
April 25, 2013
2FL VIDEO: Everything's Waiting for You
by John Bloner, Jr.
When the smash song "Downtown" chirped out of my sister's transistor radio in 1964, I became forever smitten with its singer, Petula Clark, the cherubic Brit who spread her optimism over the airwaves about a place with which I could identify. I was too young to know about love, heartbreak or the appeal of fast cars, but I knew of a place called "downtown" and somehow that part of town has held a special place in my heart ever since, due, in large part, to this song. Pet has rerecorded the song with the Saw Doctors and most recently, nearly 50 years after "Downtown" went up the charts, for her new album, "Lost In You". She's slowed the tempo, fitting for an evening stroll through the streets where "everything is waiting for you". Let's join her, won't you?
http://youtu.be/1Iow4nyW_t0
2FL VIDEO: Everything's Waiting for You
by John Bloner, Jr.
When the smash song "Downtown" chirped out of my sister's transistor radio in 1964, I became forever smitten with its singer, Petula Clark, the cherubic Brit who spread her optimism over the airwaves about a place with which I could identify. I was too young to know about love, heartbreak or the appeal of fast cars, but I knew of a place called "downtown" and somehow that part of town has held a special place in my heart ever since, due, in large part, to this song. Pet has rerecorded the song with the Saw Doctors and most recently, nearly 50 years after "Downtown" went up the charts, for her new album, "Lost In You". She's slowed the tempo, fitting for an evening stroll through the streets where "everything is waiting for you". Let's join her, won't you?
http://youtu.be/1Iow4nyW_t0
November 29, 2012
2FL VIDEO:
Pat Metheny, Giulio Carmassi and "The First Circle"
by John
Bloner, Jr.
Jazz
guitarist Pat Metheny makes it look easy. His best compositions, of which there
are many, seem effortless, spontaneous and instill a sense of the heartland (Metheny
is a Missouri native), stitched with the bossa nova, the Beatles, and the music
of Steve Reich. Metheny recorded "The First Circle" as the title
track to his 1994 record and says it carries "a special feeling that is
unlike anything else in our book." Metheny made his musical magic with the
talents of keyboardist Lyle Mays, bassist Steve Rodby, drummer Paul Wertico and
the astonishing wordless vocals of Pedro Aznar. Musician Giulio Carmassi cites
Metheny as "his biggest musical influence growing up." Earlier this
year, Carmassi created a cover version of "The First Circle", playing
all of the instruments and singing the vocals by himself. It begins with the
clapping of hands (a nod to Reich's early piece,"Clapping Music") and
evolves over more than nine minutes with a transformative grace. It looks so
easy and feels so good.
November 1,
2012
2FL VIDEO:
Pogo
by John
Bloner, Jr.
Australian
mash-up artist, Nick Bertke, shouldn't need an introduction. His music videos
on YouTube have reached 65 million views, and Disney, Pixar, and others have
commissioned his work. Under the alias, Pogo, he cuts up visuals and sounds
sourced from popular films such as "Alice In Wonderland",
"Up" and "Toy Story" and creates new works from them, often
repeating certain sonic textures, words and images.
Recently,
he's applied his approach to the World Remix Project, whose purpose, in his own
words, is to capture the "sights, sounds, voices and chords" of
cities around the globe and "use them to compose and shoot a track and
video for each major culture of the world". His creation, Kadinchey,
transports the viewer over two and a half minutes to the Himalayan nation of
Bhutan with its sounds of Tibetan bells, overtone chants, young and old voices,
and colorful sights of sacred dances, prayer flags, temples, a tea ceremony and
Bhutanese monks.
He told the
website, Pro Video Coalition, this year, “My art simply continues a tradition
that stretches back to the beginning of human culture. We make art out of what
we find around us. I do that today with sonic and visual elements.”
October 9,
2012
2FL SHORT:
The Power of the (Polish) Poster
by John
Bloner, Jr.
Pity the
poor theater poster. Either you're forgotten like many movies you promote or
become a piece of memorabilia, more regarded for the price you command than the
merits of your image.
In Poland,
however, the art of the poster has played a vital role in graphic design.
Smashing Magazine reports that Jan Wdowiszewski, organizer of the 1898
International Poster Exhibition, wrote of the "power of the poster to act
like a mirror for society's physical and mental way of life."
www.smashingmagazine.com/2010/01/17/the-legacy-of-polish-poster-design
The Website,
The Vine.com, informs that Polish artists of the 1950s and 60s expressed
themselves through poster design, escaping the watchful eye of communist
officials because they were working for the studio.
www.thevine.com.au/entertainment/movies/30-awesome-polish-movie-posters
View vintage
Polish posters at www.polish-posters.co.uk
While the
heyday of Polish posters may have passed, Polish artists continue to create
works for film, theater, opera and exhibitions that not only promote art but
become objects of art themselves. www.polishposter.com
September 27,
2012
2FL VIDEO:
Trixie Whitley -- "I'd Rather Go Blind"
by John
Bloner, Jr.
She's tiny,
huddled over her guitar with a black hood up, like she's in a cave and wary of
being discovered. Then . . . she opens her mouth to sing, "With my knife
so dull, I'd kill it if I could." She kills this song, in the best
possible way; she slays it, turns it upside down and shakes it for all its
worldly good. Damn, she's good! She's more than good. She's nasty. She's Trixie
Whitley, daughter of the late Chris Whitley, who at the age of 25, wears a
voice that would have made Memphis Minnie nod in time and Big Mama Thornton
dance around in her fancy dress. Here's Trixie singing "I'd Rather Go
Blind" at the Bing Lounge in Portland, OR, accompanied by Daniel Lanois,
her band mate in Black Dub. I'm looking forward to hearing a lot more of her
music in years to come. Sing it, Trixie, and see my knees go weak.
