Twin Sister

Twin Sister is generating a bit of buzz in the indie world at the moment. They dropped an EP earlier this year and recently released a new track through a project called Shaking Through. If you are looking for an introduction to other new bands, Shaking Through is a good place to go. Watch Twin Sister perform "Lady Daydream" (and download the live version of the song), a track off of their EP, below. Also, check out the Shaking Through track "Meet the Frownies" below that.

- Joel



Twin Sister - "Lady Daydream (LaundroMatinee Session)"

Twin Sister - "Meet the Frownies"

William Burton Binnie

THE ASSASSINATION OF LEE HARVEY OSWALD, 2008, OIL ON CANVAS, 38x60 INCHES PRIVATE COLLECTION, LOS ANGELES

William Burton Binnie is a Dallas-based artist. A lot of his work involves creepy stuff, which is not usually my flavor. But I found his take on Lee Harvey Oswald (and the hats involved) to be really creative. And the piece below makes me think of a Western movie on Halloween-steroids. Both of these pieces would take up your entire wall. I'd like to see them in person. Check out more of his work here.

- Joel

UNTITLED, 2010, OIL ON CANVAS, 96 X 72 INCHES

Quote of the Day

I have thought a lot about the concept of "cool" in the past year. It seems like being cool is an endless retreat; as soon as others are doing, saying, wearing the same things as you, you've got to retreat to something new and different and "better". There's also an inherent spirit of indifference somewhere within the concept of cool. You aren't cool if you try too hard or care too much. I find David Foster Wallace's take on the concept of cool (or "hip" as he calls it) to be interesting.

- Joel

"What passes for hip cynical transcendence of sentiment is really some kind of fear of being really human, since to be really human … is probably to be unavoidably sentimental and naïve and goo-prone and generally pathetic."
- David Foster Wallace, Infinite Jest

Hoover Dam Bridge

Two summers ago my family embarked on a Great American Family Vacation across the Southwest. We flew to Phoenix and then drove across the desert to San Diego, back across the desert to Las Vegas, over the Hoover Dam, to the Grand Canyon, through the red rocks of Sedona, and back to Phoenix to fly home. The Hoover Dam left me awestruck at the power of man. The Grand Canyon left me awestruck at the power of God.

When we visited the Hoover Dam, crews had begun construction on a bridge allowing the highway to bypass the dam. Standing atop the dam and looking at the nascent bridge inching away from the earth and into the void above the Colorado River, I thought to myself, "How in the world are they going to build that thing?" The bridge has taken shape in the year and a half since my visit, and it remains a remarkable sight.

- Joel

Avey Tare

New Animal Collective tunes! Well....sort of. Avey Tare amounts to one fourth of the collective. He's doing a solo thing on the side with a new album dropping October 26. Check out his new tune below.

- Joel

Avey Tare - "Lucky 1"

Twitter Revolution

© Robert Frank

Last month I took a Twitter-fast. My attention span waning, I tried to cut out one many things which compete for the quiet moments of my day. Unplugging myself was admittedly difficult, much like kicking an addiction. Maybe I'm more conceited than most, but I found it telling that what I missed initially about Twitter, if I'm gut-level honest, was the ability to promote myself (how funny, clever, observant, etc. I am). Things would happen in my day and I would instinctively come up with clever observations no more than 140 characters in length; I was missing out on the opportunity to prove my good humor to the masses! Furthermore, during that first week I found myself preoccupied with the unknown - what was going on with my followers/followees? Yet the headache that was Twitter-withdrawal slowly subsided and I began to enjoy living life unplugged (or partially unplugged).

The fast got me to thinking. "Connectedness" seems to be one piece of heavy artillery proponents of social media use as they wage war in the digital age; Twitter, Facebook, and the rest are great because they keep us connected, or so they argue. Yet, based on my experience, I can't help but wonder if ego lies beneath connectedness. We want to be connected, at least in part, to build an arena in which we can demonstrate our own value, our credentials. Maybe the reason we tell ourselves we want social media (connectedness) isn't actually why we become so addicted. Or maybe it's just me....

Maybe the same truth, that social media isn't all it promises to be, applies in other areas. In this week's edition of The New Yorker, Malcolm Gladwell analyzes social media's usefulness to facilitate social activism. Proponents will argue that we have entered a new age, one in which activism can be empowered with a few key strokes and a single click. Yet, Gladwell finds a difference between true activism, the kind that actually enacts change, and what is happening on Twitter and Facebook. He argues that social media "makes it easier for activists to express themselves, and harder for that expression to have any impact." As always, Gladwell makes a compelling case. I certainly don't agree with him 100% of the time, but I do agree with his take this time. Read the article at the link below. It's short and well worth your time.

- Joel

Malcolm Gladwell - "Small Change: Why the Revolution will not be tweeted"

Dallas Weekend

Great weekend in Dallas. Fuel City tacos. State Fair of Texas. Crazy Mouse. Corny dogs. Bishop Arts Urban Street Bazaar. North Park Mall. Gossip girl. Louie's Pizza. The Old Monk. Thanks for being a great hostess, Cassie! And thanks to Jeff & Nicole for lots of fun too.

- Joel

American Royal BBQ

© Trey Kazee

I have a tendency to brag about Kansas City. Nothing like hometown pride to inspire bold proclamations - both true and embellished. However, if there's one thing about Kansas City that cannot be overstated it is barbeque. Texas, Memphis, and the Carolinas may lay claim to award winning barbeque, but only one place owns (yes, we literally own it) the blue ribbon: Kansas City. Both in quantity (the the metro area is home to more than 200 bbq joints) and in quality (food critics declare KC the Mecca of BBQ) Kansas City stands above the rest. This weekend, barbeque connoisseurs from across the globe descend on the city for what has become known as the "World Series of Barbeque", the cook-off to end all cook-offs, the American Royal Barbeque competition. For competitive barbequers, this event marks the season finale of the barbeque circuit. If I wasn't heading to Dallas for the Texas State Fair this weekend, you would find me in the West Bottoms, reeking of smoke and covered in sauce. For those seeking the zenith of smoked meats and spicy sauces, look no further than the American Royal.

By the way, I must admit a bit of hypocrisy here. The photos I'm featuring on this post were actually shot in Texas. A friend from Dallas, Trey Kazee, embarked on a barbeque odyssey of his own around the great state, taking these finger-lickin' good photographs. It's much more fun posting pictures shot by a friend than Google searching for stock photography. Plus, Trey possesses spectacular abilities in the craft (let's declare him Photographer of the Day). So, if these pictures look good, just imagine how amazing the American Royal must be to consistently out do all the barbeque Texas brings to the table.

- Joel

© Trey Kazee

Water for Elephants

I've started and stopped this post a few times since finishing Water For Elephants by Sara Gruen this past weekend. I read it on the recommendation of a blogger buddy and was not disappointed. However, I must admit that I was skeptical upon seeing a plot summary of the book: following the death of his parents, Jacob, a Cornell veterinary student, abandons his exit exams, hops a train (which just so happens to be a circus train) and becomes the circus vet, ultimately falling in love with one of the performers, which causes one calamity after another. Fortunately, I didn't judge the book by it's cover, nor by it's plot summary, and was supremely rewarded. Without spoiling the details, here are three reasons I enjoyed the book:

1) I found the the book revealed much about the plight of the elderly. The story is told as a flashback; Jacob recalls his days on the circus from his wheelchair in a nursing home. The flashback chapters account for the majority of the book, yet it was the present day chapters, as Jacob describes the challenges and the loneliness he was experiencing in the home, that I found most eye opening.

2) Don't get me wrong, the flashback chapters were wonderful. Though three main characters were primary to the narrative, the circus setting allowed the author to develop a host of unique personalities. The cast included carnival hands, big show performers, freak show additions, a rotund circus boss, and an entire zoo, including Rosie the Elephant. I enjoyed the evolution of these characters over the course of the story, most of all Walter.

3) If you've ever read Cormac McCarthy, you've seen the pinnacle of descriptive writing; the entire world seems to come alive with McCarthy's personification. Read McCarthy if you want a greater appreciation of the English language and the power of metaphor. However, with Sara Gruen you get meticulous detail. It is not hard to imagine the Depression-Era circus as she outlines and colors each setting with precision.

I relish fiction but gravitate towards historical fiction above all. I appreciate Gruen's research and the knowledge she cultivated about her subject before ever putting pen to paper. It makes a fascinating narrative all the more relevant in my opinion. All in all, a great book. Try it out for yourself. If you're like me, you'll refuse to put it down in the last hundred pages.

- Joel

New Music Tuesday

A few good albums dropped this week. I've posted about these artists before, so this time I've included one previously posted track and one new one. Technically, Sufjan's album didn't drop yet, but if you pre-ordered it you were able to download the entire thing today. Additionally, the photo above is the Beastie Boys and not one of the artists mentioned below. But they looked like they were ready to jam out, which is what I am ready to do with all the new tunes.

- Joel

From the album Ring

Glasser - "Home"

Glasser - "Plane Temp"

From the album Halcyon Digest

Deerhunter - "Helicopter"

Deerhunter - "He Would Have Laughed"

From the album The Age of Adz

Sufjan Stevens - "I Walked"

Sufjan Stevens - "Vesuvius"

Bo Knows

Bo still knows commercials. Growing up in Kansas City, I've always been a major Bo Jackson fan. I'm digging the new Nike commercials. Watch a few below.

- Joel

Sleigh Bells

Sleigh Bells is my new go to band when I need to get fired up. Their album Treats will land in my top 5 of the year. They recently dropped a single that included a new track. Try it out below. FYI - like all the band's music, the track is very loud and very fuzzy.

- Joel

Sleigh Bells - "Holly"

Royal Forest

I saw this video on the Public School blog. The band is Royal Forest. I haven't listened to much of their music but the song in the video is good. It was shot at the sand dunes in Monahans, Texas. As you can see, they snuck in the shoot right before a big storm. Good stuff.

- Joel

Rappers

So this one is waaaayyyyy better than the beer diagram.

- Joel

Beer

I drink beer very infrequently, but I found this poster to be pretty interesting. Too bad Boulevard Wheat didn't make it onto their diagram. Find more things like this here.

- Joel

Reading List

Not that you care, but my reading list has quickly become a log jam. Here's a glimpse.

- Joel

Water For Elephants - Sara Gruen (currently reading)

Following the death of his parents, Jacob Jankowski abandons his college finals and becomes a circus hand.

John Wayne - American - by Randy Roberts and James S. Olson

A biography of arguably the most famous American film star in history.

The Red Badge of Courage - Stephen Crane

A classic of American literature that explores the cruelty of the Civil War.

The Virginian - by Owen Wister

Written at the turn of the century, this novel inspired a generation's worth of Western films.

I Curse The River of Time - Per Petterson

A brand new fiction book (released in August), Arvid Jansen, the main character, retrospectively explores the loss of his mother, his marriage, and his philosophy (Communism).

Song of the Day

I remember the first time I saw The Jerk. I was little and didn't know if I was supposed to laugh or think the guy was stupid or both. But what I remember most is the duet with Steve Martin and Bernadette Peters. I can vividly remember how their harmonizing made me happy. Enjoy a modern take on that song below (you can use the widget to download the track), and watch the duet below that.

- Joel

Photographer of the Day

Can I live here? I'm not sure who made these photographs, but I want to go there. Here's where I found them.

- Joel

Song of the Day

I heard this song today from the Fleet Foxes and it reminded me just how good they are. If you like acoustic guitars, you'll like this.

- Joel

Fleet Foxes - "Mykonos"

Photographer of the Day

© Jonathan Chapman

Jonathan Chapman. This guy has great stuff; excellent use of lighting and contrast. His talent probably warrants a second post. Check out his portfolio.

- Joel

© Jonathan Chapman

© Jonathan Chapman