Let's be sure we have the basic math worked out:
Mofo + Afro = Mofro
Front man JJ Grey writes about his childhood home in Florida, a lake called Lochloosa, while on tour in England. Or so he tells us as he politely taps out the intro melody/harmony on the electric piano. The title song from Mofro's 2004 album Lochloosa is one of their more popular pieces, and my favorite of all.
Lochloosa by JJ Grey and Mofro
The second time I saw Mofro live at the Neighborhood Theater in Charlotte, North Carolina, I was just finishing up in the little boys' room when they started playing it. I finished rapidly and elbowed my way into the standing room crowd back to two great friends and our PBR Tallboys.
The song's text is JJ's clear desire to return to his homeland of northern Florida, back to the huge old trees, the swamplands, the heat, and retreating away from commercial development.
I love the studio version of this song, and I listen to it frequently. Standing alone as a musical recording, it is excellent: dynamic, heart-felt, and full of soul. But because a simple audio recording can only appeal to one of our five human senses, I'm always left hanging and trying to recall my two experiences with the band in concert.
Hearing the studio recording of "Lochloosa" allows, I think, for easy and very effective understanding of the song's subject matter. Through my sense of hearing, I can construct my impression of JJ and his longing for home. The soul comes through the recording equipment, through the iTunes Store, through the mp3 data, and through my stereo loud and clear.
But as I was saying last week, art is about the creation of a connection between two people through a common emotional identification. When you take as many of the machines and computers out of the equation as possible seeing Mofro live, you also add four more sensory experiences to the blend that will become your connection.
Rather than simply hearing and understanding JJ's words and feeling a bit of his soul, the live experience allows you to hear the band and the crowd, see the stage and the people around you, smell and taste the beer, sweat, and joy, and feel the woofers resonating your skeleton.
While the studio recording of "Lochloosa" is carefully through-composed, their rendition of the song live is relaxed and spontaneous: the intro allowing for JJ to verbally connect with the crowd and tell the story of how the song came to be, the latter portions allowing for ripping trumpet, guitar, and tenor sax solos which are certainly missed on the album version. Mofro's live sound simply seems fuller, richer, and more complete than their album sound, especially with the addition of horns on stage.
The enormous ceiling fan forces fresher air down into a crowd of people who have long since ceased to be an audience to JJ Grey and Mofro. The band's connection with itself, its connection with the crowd, and the crowd's connection with itself in common identifcation with the text are all so complete that all are now a part of the whole art taking place.
Everyone has their own personal version of Lochloosa, the home of their childhood, their roots, and everyone knows the feeling of being separated from their Lochloosa. JJ Grey's brilliance as a musician is his ability to cause his guitar, harmonica, electric piano, etc to get out of the way of the art and allow a whole room of personal human connections to occur in the live setting. Because the "audience" is as invested in the emotion of the song as the band, the live experience of "Lochloosa" is an event of complete art. It ceases to be a song about JJ and his roots and becomes a song about all of our commonality in the human experience of having roots.
JJ Grey and Mofro are certainly worth hearing, but they're even more worth hearing live.
I don’t think most of us wake up in the morning thinking about the miserable shit we’d like to befall our former neighbors, friends, or lovers. I'll go even further and suggest that no one plans on hating what we know another person loves -- but sometimes it turns out that way. Thus, I can’t shake the idea that sometimes we just aren’t supposed to like a motherfucker. Sometimes you just look down at 14 months of bouncing baby boy and think, “I wouldn’t mind if you fell down some stairs.”
I didn’t go into this blind. I play dumb sometimes -- better safe than sorry I figure -- but this time I knew full well what the stakes were. I knew what he meant to his mother: she adores him. We fast became friends, and she told me in a moment of heartbreaking vulnerability that he literally saved her from suicide. She didn’t know her purpose before him. Because of that knowledge, I never smile at him. I don’t want him feeling comfortable around me. The one time we made a connection, he giggled and wanted me to pick him up. A few minutes later he came back and hugged my leg. “He’s never done that to my guy friends before.” That would have been a good omen to a more honorable man, but I couldn’t bring myself to look at it so positively. I only saw a liability: if the kid likes you, then she’ll like you, and then you’ll have to get “serious.” Never that. Serious men are miserable, and I didn’t want to be a long-term serious man. Not this soon.
I don't know exactly when it started, but I think it was inevitable for my mood toward him to change from indifference to enmity. The straw could have been the day he paused from spinning around the living room to audibly shit his pants: something he found hilarious. Maybe it was the 7am Baby Einstein wake up calls (we both hated being alone, so I slept over sometimes); maybe their lie reflected my own. We were both faking it: those tapes wouldn’t make him any smarter, not even marginally, and no matter how tight I held her at night, I couldn’t convince myself that I was not, in fact, making a dangerous mistake. “Friend, my ass. This is how women get hurt,” I thought. “This is how bad relationships start.” Maybe I was jealous that he could be with the woman who loved him; the one who loves me is half a country away.
So here I am (or was, as it’s finally over), it’s morning again; I'm waiting for the bathroom. I’m looking at her drooling, slack-jawed, $10,000 paperweight, and can’t help but picture gently placing an index finger between his big, vacant eyes and pushing backward. I wonder if he’ll topple like a stack of alphabet bricks. He waddles over, carrying a little green cylinder. He was tired of sucking on it and wanted to roll it across the room. He looks up at me, and holds it out for me to play with, but his grip isn’t strong enough and it falls to the floor. He tries to pick it up, but my foot beats him to it: a little kick sends the thing clattering across the den. He looks hurt. I feel very satisfied.
We live in a society that has rejected the idea of "black"and "white", right and wrong, good and evil. Most people don't even agree that such old-fashioned notions like "the truth" even exists. Perception is what rules our world, and not just any perception, but your perception. However, even though we believe we live in a world of technicolored gray - very rarely do we actually explore those real life experiences from which we draw these conclusions. In these series of stories we will explore what it is that makes our world grey, what inspires our moral relativism. Often we encounter moments in our lives that do not make sense - where our actions clash with our values - where what we thought we believed starts to crumble. Many times these moments are traumatic, sometimes they are funny, often they are surprising, but they are always moments where we are at our most human. Many of these stories will contain anti-heroes, will have no clear morals, and may very well be disturbing. Good.
The purpose of the Boundary series is to cause the reader to question, to empathize with another persons experience, and perhaps even be comforted by how deeply flawed we can be - how even really good people can do bad things - how we sometimes give in to our animal urges - how we are most often fully alive right at that point where we are in the greatest danger of losing our humanity.
We encourage all of our readers to dig deep within themselves and write down their own boundary experience(s) - at the very least comment on the experiences of others. If you do write a story you can send it to artstarblog@gmail.com.
Thanks for supporting Art Star and always remember "you can't fake real".
-smartblackboy
Many of our first experiences with the infamous and ever-popular "Auto Tune" came from hearing things like Daft Punk's "One More Time." In other words, many of us came to associate Auto Tune fringe electronica with purposefully non-human voices singing very simple, but very vague lyrics.
The thing about this song when it came out in early 2001 is that it fit neatly into a genre of music which is based entirely on its total dependence on the computers and machines necessary to create it. Sure, some of the music you hear in "One More Time" came from samples of people playing real instruments (probably), but the song itself is in no way a primary source of human-created art. All of the primary source material (the raw human voice vocals, the original samples, etc) are filtered through an electronic medium, and we therefore experience the materials as secondary sources.
Brian Gallarello has taken a concept and branded it into an international success. His line "Brian Famous" uses a simple hair parted mystery man to create an adventurous jack of all trades. For all intents and purposes, they are novelty shirts but the character and life out of the varying icons is comical and genius. Based out of New York, he recently released his second version of BF with a greater focus on the face. Check out the interview below and be sure to check out the site.
Never having seen a picture of you, how much is Brian Famous a physical and/or personality self portrait?
If BrianFamous resembles me at all, it is coincidental. I consider myself to be a pretty good looking guy but BrianFamous is extremely suave. Being that Brianfamous is a 2-dimensional silhouette he can hang-out with 3-dimentional things like Magnum P.I. or 2-dimensional things like Magnum's iconic mustache. However, I think that when you are looking at BrianFamous, he represents a piece of what we all want to be. A characteristic that you probably believe about yourself, but that characteristic may or may not ever manifest itself. He's part of the everyman. The part that gets along with everyone and anything and has a good time while doing it. He's also been linked to beauties such as the Chiquita Banana Lady and the St Pauli Girl, so it's safe to say he is out of my league.
Who do you think is revolutionizing the t-shirt design and graphics industry? How are they doing it and what makes them stand out?
Designers with the ability to print on demand or in short print runs. Being able to produce unique and contemporary ideas that I can associate with the BrianFamous brand in a timely manner is really where the entire t-shirt industry is headed. There is a lot of really great work out there. If you search google on "tiger tee" you'll encounter some really great tigers. To stand out though those tigers need to be paired with a brand name to get the public to trust you. With BrianFamous, it is about his relationship to the tiger, either taking on their stripes or just hanging with the big cat. Either way, it is incorporating the brand idea into the theme of the t-shirt. it's great to have a tiger on your t-shirt, but how is that conveying the image of what you think your brand should represent to the public? It's how the designer answers that question, i think, that ultimately dictates whether that brand will be successful or not.
Could you guide me through the timeline of your brand? When did you have the first BF design and how did it progress from there? What were the biggest obstacles you had to overcome?
I first captured BrianFamous in the summer of 2007. I wanted to find a brand that would be instantly recognizable almost subtle like a small crest or something. I introduced him to a Manga character, a martial arts legend and the world's favorite animated corpse. Two years later and I'm just trying to keep up with him. Now with the large face designs the brand has become bolder.
What have been the greatest challenges for online branding and have you had a success offline?
So far BrianFamous is an online venture. I think the biggest challenge is acting as curator to the life of this brand. As I said before, I think everyone has a piece of BrianFamous and vice versa, but how do you get
people to recognize that? Additionally, how do you get your message to the mass public in a world that is dominated by larger corporate brands and if successful there, still continue to maintain the integrity that it had when it was created? I think that like most art, this is a struggle that is an ongoing process and how you navigate your way through that and the answers that you arrive at are, ultimately, going to determine the final message of your brand, whether intended or not. BrianFamous is a prism of pop culture. Sometimes culture can be ugly and sometimes it can be beautiful. I want to show BrianFamous merging with a wide variety of visual elements so everybody can relate to some piece of his trajectory.
Where do you see the brand going in the next year and the next 5 years?
A boutique serving as a base of operations here in New York. A sort of living catalog serving to capture BrianFamous' jaunts through the world's cultural icons and visual elements. Wherever the brand goes, I'll be there. If Brianfamous travels to galaxies far far away, I have a light saber and a notebook.
Is there anything that you would like to tell our readers about BF or about you personally?
Yes. Embrace the Everyman.
Let it Rain - OK Go
Flashflood - Aesop Rock
Rain - Bishop Allen
It's Going to Rain - Waterboys
So the rains have come, Atlanta is flooding and I've been instructed to gather dry wood to assemble an ark of biblical proportions. All we need is two of everything (I mean everything)... Whatcha got?
I've got two remote controls that work half the time for the same tv.
I've also got two copies of Boondock Saints (hope that will come in handy).
I was an outsider with no way to feel the electricity. The convention was not a place for outsiders to come in and become, for a weekend, “one of the guys.” If you did not have a specific interest, knowledge, and passion for one of the 30 subject matters at Dragon*Con, it was much more difficult to buy into the culture and excitement. After going to many art festivals, concerts, and music gatherings on the whim of “why not go?” I thought it would be simple to flow into the energy. I could not have been more wrong.
Going into Dragon*Con, I thought it would be entirely about the people watching, the fantastic art, and the energy surrounding new releases. Those were important, but more so were the relationships between strangers who have such devoted passion for their specific interests. May it be for Joss Whedon and his “Whedonverse” or the plethora of skeptics, the world inside Dragon*Con nurtures those who nurture and care for it. I, along with my day tripping companion, could not offer anything to stimulate the discussion, add to the jokes, or commiserate with the growth of a culture.
However, this is ok.
If you desire to be a part of the community and contribute it takes effort. Effort, just like taking the time to read music blogs to find new tunes, memorizing NFL depth charts for fantasy league success, and watching crappy reality TV to hold a conversation with your teenage cousin. Time and energy bring you into a community.
As we stepped back into the car to head home, we looked at each other and we both knew what we were about to ask, “Would we do this again?”
Absolutely.
But we knew we needed to read about flinking, participate in LARPs, watch Buffy, and plan out which events were a priority. Until then, we should not expect the return of energy and joy that the Dragon*Con folk have come to expect.
How does it feel to put in your all and have it not be enough?/Instead of all full, you're awful and it's so damn tough- Chris B. "Lyrics of Fury 2k5" circa 2004.*
On the B train riding from Fordham, two of my students began to argue over which borough was the best. In one corner was a Brooklynite who incited the argument by expressing his disdain for the Bronx the whole walk from Fordham to the station.
"yo, i hate this bum ass borough!"
"what's your problem?"
"I swear this whole borough smells like spaghettios!"
Knowing how much my students stereotype, I was surprised he didn't say arroz con pollo. The second student also lives in Brooklyn but originally is from the Bronx. He quickly came to the defense of his homeland.
"Brooklyn is whack!"
"get outta here Brooklyn is the best borough by far!"
They argued about the attractiveness of each borough's females, which borough had the best style (swag is dead, no?), and which borough is most hardbody.
"you would never in your life say Brooklyn is whack while you were there cuz u know they would wash you!"
"that's their problem! They stay killin each other! I guarantee there will be no one left there by like...2012!"
In due time, the conversation, as I anticipated, went to which borough has the nicest emcees.
Up until this point I only observed; contributing to the atmosphere through laughter and shakin my head in disapproval to their ignorance.
I wanted to hear their answers and be reassured that the rumors were a lie: young people do know their history and had respect for culture.
The young brother from the Bronx did not disappoint:
"The Bronx don't have rappers?! Are you kidding me?! We got krs-1, we got pun, we got fat Joe (I'll give him a pass on this one as Joey crack introduced the world to pun and was a member of D.I.T.C)"
"what?! big pun is whack!"
Absurd.
"Brooklyn got way better rappers than that! We got fab--"
At this I had to interject.
"of all the emcees you could have mentioned, you choose fab?!"
It's not that Fabolous is whack. Far from it! But in a history that has given Biggie, Jay , Big Daddy Kane, mos def, among others, you choose fab?
The debate soon settled and both brothers changed trains. As I continued my ride home I reflected on three things:
If Willie Lynch were here, would he smile as these brothers' discord gave evidence of self hatred's compound interest?
Would those who died in the fight against injustice, echo Aaron Mccgruder's portrayal of Dr. King and ask, "is this what I took all those ass whoopings for?"
And I realized their argument proved many of my southern brothers and sisters right when they talk about why and how New York fell off.
Their argument illustrated the infighting that many southern emcees associate with the New York scene. Instead of reflecting on each borough's distinctions as yet another reason why the city is The City, energy is wasted in a futile debate that is based on who can outshout the other more than the facts.
This isn't unique to NY, fighting over territory occurs all over the world and throughout history. Sadly, we forget how much we need each other and waste time belaboring our inadequacies.
The greatest tragedy is when this happens to a successful group. The focus on the whole, becomes too much for the part (think David Ruffin) and they assume the success will continue just because they are there.
I believe this happened to the USA Olympic basketball team. Winning against other nations came naturally in '92 and '96. You didn't check the score to see if they won but to see how badly they crushed the other team.
The team was lackluster in Sydney and by 04, as the league was at it's lowest point in the post-Jordan era, it's performance was woeful.
Players expected to win the gold medal by birthright and even the best players didn't have what it took to be the best team.
The difference in 08? Jerry Colangelo and Coach K got the best players in the league to buy into their system and prove they were the best team in the world. Rather than relying on their reputation, they built it.
I think the New York sound, and therefore hip hop en masse, has a lot to learn from the dream team. You're only winning until you're not and the motivation should be geared toward sustaining power rather than abusing it.
This cannot be achieved without a recommitment to love that prioritizes music over the business. If monetary spoils make the music a means to an end then the culture suffers.
Newer emcees should make art that converses with the music that came before them. What would happen if they were in actual dialogue with legends? Are there mentors in hip-hop? (We all see what Jay's relationship has done for Kanye.)
LL
Ghostface
Nas
Q tip
Chuck D
Dr. Dre
Big Daddy Kane
Rakim
How do they do it?
Art Stars may be familiar with my erratic series known as "My Mind on Shuffle"
When I think of this guy: I can't help but think of a quiet tenacity. An unfailing impulse to get things done wrapped inside a simple joy for life.
I have lived with Cody, road tripped to Florida with Cody, camped with Cody, ran 150 member arts organization with Cody, gotten mono from Cody, rocked out with Cody, gotten drunk with Cody, and take full credit for Cody's current relationship (yes the drunken phone call freshman year really might have ruined it. Note to all readers - friends don't let friends drunk dial).
However, the great thing about my experiences with Cody is that they aren't unique.
Many of our readers who know Cody can create a similar list - it is just incredibly difficult to be around Cody Elder and not do something fun.
A college football players turned patron of the arts, Cody is the heart and soul of Art Star.
Simply put, you wouldn't be reading this blog if it wasn't for him.
So today we salute you, good sir.
Hope you have the best of birthdays.
Hell yeah.
Fuck yeah.
Ahhhwwaaaooooooo!
Love,
Art Star
Check out The Best of Cody Elder:
The Music Industry: Trendy Schiznit, Can Your Business Model Work?
Clicking Around With Music: DJ Bam Bam
Clicking Around With Music: Samantha Crain
Clicking Around With Music: Teen Wolf
Clicking Around With Music: Lori Kirk
Clicking Around With Music: Paleface
Megaman, I feel Your Pain
now in theatres: juneau
point and shoot: the sun is bright in my eyes
my olympic heroes part 4: pass the torch
Blogging, like many forms of entertainment in our culture, forces contributors to make a firm decision.
The above clip is just one example of the many songs from one of reggae's most popular stars currently, (and my favorite dancehall artist of the year) Mavado. David Constantine Brooks is Reggae music's answer to Tupac. Not since Bounty Killer (Mavado's mentor and fellow "Alliance" member) invited listeners to "Look" and declared that poor people were "Fed Up!", have the struggles of the poor been so wondrously illustrated through the music. Like any artist of his ilk, controversy surrounds him as he is viewed as both a voice of the sufferers and an enabler for violent elements.
This song shows the influence Bounty Killer, and undoubtedly Tupac, had in Mavado's formation as an artist. It is a weird form of an apology; one that doesn't say I'm "gonna do better" but attempts to explain the method behind the madness.
While the Olympics have come and most are now focused on the Convention in Denver, NFL preseason, etc., celebration still continues on the isle of Jamaica and in the heart of all "yardies" across the world. Peep this video below as Elephant Man demonstrates the newest dance to hit the street, the "Lightning Bolt"
R.I.P The "Shogun of Harlem"
