King Lear Peak, Nevada. June 2006.
Love the scraggly bush with the expanse of the black rock desert in the background. This peak is a fabulous hike and if you are in the area in Northern Nevada I highly recommend it. The views are obscene as is the solitude.
Black Rock Desert, Nevada, June 2006.
This is near the area where the famous annual counterculture festival 'Burning Man' is held each August.
Leading Pitch 5 of "Syckes Sickle" Spearhead Peak, Rocky Mountain National Park.
September 2009. Relieved to be getting in a good piece of gear under that flake after a little PG-13/R slab action!!
Dave, Chromeo, Monolith 2009.
Ally. 2004.
World Trade Center Beam, Memorial, New York, 2002.
West Shaft Headframe, Sterling Mine, Ogdensburg, New Jersey, 2003.
Trotter Mill Site, Franklin, New Jersey, 2003.
For some reason I can't ever seem to get over my interest in urban decay and old industrial landscapes. I love the idea of nature renewing and taking over these vast man-made edifices that are crumbling away along with our economy. Sort of bleak and inspiring at the same time.
Succasunna, New Jersey. 2004.
Somehow this sum's my mood right now quite well. Fulfilled yet uncertain, anxious yet content, I feel like I'm on the edge of something big, sharp, and definitive, looking over. But also reminiscing about being a kid and finding the absurd in the everyday.
Random inspiration for Dinner tonight: Linguine Fra Diavlo with prawns, Mixed Greens and Pomegranate tossed in Balsamic Vinagerette and Olive Oil, and a glass of Louis Jadot Maison Nuef, my favorite inexpensive white wine that tastes expensive! Now why don't I have dinner guests over more often. hah.
Dandy
X-Mas 2008 in New York.
Annual end of summer banquet, The Chewonki Foundation, Wiscasset, Maine. August 2009,
Tri-color nerd. Pants: Altamont; Herman Wiltshire Signature. Shoes: Sanuk Plaids. Belt Buckle: Chinatown, NY. Vest: St. Moritz [from Salvation Army.] Shirt: Salt Valley. Hat: [urbanoutfitters.com]
Something silly I put together today.... inspiration was a combination of the New Chromeo DJ Kicks Release and the French Electronica Scene. Jacket is by B.C Ethic, found at Salvation Army for 15 bucks; Jeans are by Levi's [511's], Sunglasses by Ray-Ban, Shoes by Sanuk, shirt my J-Crew. Anyways.....
Please excuse my absence from the blogosphere. As if anyone is reading this that intently anyways hah. Anyways, I've been busy with school, reading, climbing, listening to new music.... you know... just the usual. In keeping with the independent media theme of this blog, here's some media that has piqued my interest recently.
Please excuse my absence from the blogosphere. As if anyone is reading this that intently anyways hah. Anyways, I've been busy with school, reading, climbing, listening to new music.... you know... just the usual. In keeping with the independent media theme of this blog, here's some media that has piqued my interest recently.
First, a few books:
1.) "The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian" by Sherman Alexie. This is an amazing novel. It is the first work by the prolific and talented mr Alexie to be targeted at young adults [ie; teens], but don't let this discourage you from reading this heartfelt and moving coming-of-age story.. Mr. Alexie's masterful prose and quick wit are sure to delight readers of any age. The plot revolves around "Junior" [a portrait of Mr. Alexie as a young man], an indian boy raised on the reservation in Spokane, Washington, who struggles to find his identity both as an Indian and as someone who know's the only way to find success is to "escape the rez" and effectively be a nomad between cultures. This is one of those 'read in one sitting' novels for sure.
2.) "My Life as a Trainwreck", by Jeff Nichols. This is self-deprecating humor at its finest.... this hilarious and brutally honest autobiography of comedian, actor, and fisherman Jeff Nichols will have you laughing out loud in public and not giving a damn. Mr. Nichols spills all in this confession of his youth, from selling striped bass illegally out of the back on his 92' civic in Queens to the A.A dating scene..... You won't be able to put this down.
2.) "Nog" by Rudolph Wurlitzer. "Nog" emerges from the fog of human consciousness as a ghostly apparition of what we have become and a haunting memoir of one man's search for identity, adrift in a wild, romanticized west. As Thomas Pynchon said once, "The Novel of Bullshit is Dead", and "Nog" emerges from the haze of the couterculture movement of the 60s and 70's as a post-revolutionary look at the state of the American culture machine.
3.) "Dreams from my Father", by Barrack Obama. A sincere and moving memoir that resonates with anybody who has been caught between identity and society; and a story of a truly remarkable man. I am so damn proud to have you as our President after reading this book Mr. Obama.
4.) "The Affected Provincial's Companion, Vol. I", By Lord Breulove Swells Whimsy. A hilarious and relevant parody of the state of modern culture, and the price of being peculiar. A treatise almost equalled in it's silliness by it's sincerity. Anyone with the no-de-plume 'Lord Whimsy' is a winner in my book! An informal and highly amusing history of everything from Dandyism to "The Retrosexual." Highly Reccomended!!
Now for a few music reviews....
1.) "Destroy Rock And Roll", Mylo, Breastfed Music Ltd., 2004. It seems that everyone and their cousin is a "bedroom DJ" these days, but few do it with such style and skill as Scotland's Myles McInnes, better known as Mylo, who rocked the indie electronic world in 2004 with his first album, "Destroy Rock And Roll." This is possibly the best record ever made on such primitive equipment and low budget. Proof that skill and creativity are not bought and sold, as the mainstream music industry would have us believe. One listen to such gems as "In My Arms", "Guilty Of Love", and "Drop the Pressure" will have you dancing and simultaneously shaking your head at how this quality of music could be made with a keyboard, a few synths, and a computer. God bless technology!
2.) "Stainless Style", Neon Neon. Neon Neon is a recent collaboration between Cincinnati DJ Boom Bip and Gruff Rhys of Super Furry Animals, and has really made the best 'new wave' electronica album in quite some time with their 2008 release "stainless style', which shimmers with cold synths, extremely catchy bass hooks, and an overall sleekness you would expect of such a title. Highlights include "I told her on Alderaan", which would have been a top 40 billboard hit in the 80's, "Raquel", a shameless and lovely tribute to 70's/80's icon Raquel Welch, and "Steel Your Girl", a ballad about iconic steel and automobile magnate John DeLorean. Indeed, the entire album is basically a cheeky tribute to Mr. DeLorean, the inventor of the GTO and credited with inspiring the "muscle car revolution." If this was a hip hop album, it would get 5 mics, but it's a Neon Neon album, so it gets 5 chrome hood ornaments.
3.) "Fantastic Playroom", New Young Pony Club. I love this album. I really do. While it's easy to make off-handed comparison's to fellow glam/indie electronica acts 'The Gossip' or 'Ladyhawke'. I think after a thorough listen we see that this British newcomer has just as refined and polished a sound, with, dare I say, a bit more edge and less pop filler than Beth Ditto's melodramatic lyrics. While it seems much of this so-called 'new wave' electronica movement in the indie scene today is contrived and gimmicky, NYPC radiates sincerity and earnest talent, as evident in the tracks "The Get Go", "Fan", and "Tight Fit". almost reminiscent of New Order's last few albums at times, this album is a real throwback to an era not too long ago where music could be punk, pop, and indie all at the same time, without the stigma.
4.) "Thunder, Lightning, Strike!", The Go! Team. What to say about this album... well, it might just be the best thing Brighton, England has ever produced. This creative and innovative band emerges a shining star from from the grimy industrial wastelands of northern England, with a sounds that invites comparison with everything from The Avalanches to The Pixies to the B-52's early work. Silly, loud, and catchy as hell, their well-crafted indie pop fly's along at 100 miles an hour propelled by stinging basslines and pounding drums. innovative sample use incorporating horns, jingles, and old garage-punk snippets along with live instruments makes for a truly unique and memorable mix. Add some lyrics that make you think your back at the bus stop in the rain in 1995 and nobody understands you, and you have a killer album. Highly recommended.
