Author: andrea Page 17 of 72

I’ve spent the last few weeks in a kind of fugue state of disbelief. I still can’t quite believe this is happening. I can’t believe this is happening the the Gulf Coast again. At the very least, Katrina was a natural catastrophe, tragically compounded by negligence, ill-preparedness and bureaucratic red tape. In stark contrast, we brought the Gulf spill on ourselves: it speaks volumes of human selfishness, greed and hubris.

That it’s still going on leaves me heartsick, horrified and incredibly angry. I’ve never used this blog as a soapbox — I usually just natter on about music and leave it at that. But this issue is too big to ignore. (And getting bigger by the day. To put it in perspective, here’s a handy-dandy infographic that compares Deepwater to other epic spills.)

There are so many ways you can help.

Sign a petition or three. Reduce the amount of petroleum-based materials you use over the course of a day. Carpool to work. Tell the President how angry you are. (Better still, make him keep his promise to “kick BP’s ass.”) Donate your time or money to an organization trying to make a difference in the stricken region.

From now until June 18, Tiny Showcase is donating $15 from this Jen Corace print to the Gulf Restoration Network. Julianna Swaney is donating every penny from her latest limited edition print to the Audubon Society.

Oceana is concentrating its efforts on cleanup and outreach, while the International Bird Rescue Research Center, Audubon Society and the National Wildlife Conservancy are focusing on rescuing and rehabilitating as many birds and animals as they are able.

I won’t link to any photos, because I will completely lose it. Instead, I’ve posted the aforementioned Jen Corace print, “Down, Down, Down.”

Music: Lida Husik’s haunting “Ship Going Down,” from Your Bag. (A lost classic, If you don’t own it, hie thee to iTunes.)

Lida Husik, “Ship Going Down”

ARTWORK BY JEN CORACE, “DOWN, DOWN, DOWN”

On muggy summer days, you want music to lift you up. Effervescent music that sparkles and shimmers in the haze, cutting right through the heat and energizing you with its ebullience.

“Super Panavision 70” is that cool breeze. With its wall-of-sound echoes of Broadcast, Beach House, and Tarnation’s lovelorn grit, this is music to get lost in. The crystalline production beautifully highlights the luminous, triple-tracked harmonies and round-robin vocals, underpinned and grounded by a slightly martial drumbeat. I can’t remember when a song grabbed me this immediately… It’s mesmerizing and delightful. Umpteen listens later, it still is.

Strange Holiday is the brainchild of singer Alison Ables. Formerly of Tristeza, she’d always loved to sing but never had time to develop her ideas, thanks to constant touring. A brief spell in an a capella group led by Dirty Projectors’ Amber Coffman inspired her to move to Portland, built herself a studio, and start a solo project called Soft Fruit.

While working on her debut EP, she met Ben Simpson (bass) and Andrew Grosse (moog), who became full time members. With the addition of Kevin Davis on guitar and Jesse Robert W on drums, Strange Holiday was officially born.

You can buy Strange Holiday’s debut EP, Archipelago, here. They are currently at work on their debut album.

Strange Holiday, “Super Panavision 70″

Less a band than an unstoppable force, What Cheer? Brigade make Gogol Bordello look like wallflowers. Formed in Providence in 2005, this insane party machine has brought its unique éclat and élan to art openings, libraries, school playgrounds, traffic islands, warehouses and music festivals — often accompanied by fellow freaksters, Big Nazo.

Lo and behold, band-that-couldn’t-be-tamed has finally unleashed its debut long-player upon the world, We Suck, You Blow [Anchor Brain].

You can order direct from both band and label, but that would be so …expected. If you act now, you can buy artist Will Schaff’s super-cool What Cheer? Screenprint. Published by Tiny Showcase in a limited edition of 100, each print comes with a download code for the record, thus ensuring that you, too, can turn your abode into a truly righteous soirée sauvage! (Gorilla masks not included.)

What Cheer Brigade, “Siayan Re Saiyan”

ARTWORK BY WILLIAM SCHAFF, “WHAT CHEER?”