the wire ((hearts)) VTB

huzzah! from the new wire:


email me if you want to order a copy of this beaut.

i love you, finland

so this past weekend in st. louis at the spooky action palace was nothing short of spellbinding. the finnish caravan made its way through the midwest (along with davenport and the might skaters) and laid a psych bomb on st. louis like its never seen. first i want to give props to michael @ spooky action palace for putting on a great event. it stayed surprisingly calm with little drama (save for the girl passing out on night one, perhaps. that was hardcore).

anyhow, lau nau, islaja, tomutonttu (aka jan anderzen), kuupuu, taikuri tali, & sala-arhimo left a long-lasting impression on me.

every performance was great, though i have to admit that lau nau, islaja, and taikuri tali took me furthest. lau's set (w/ taikuri tali backing her up) was stunning. she played 'unplugged' and when she played the theme from holy mountain, i was practically on the floor. it was mesmerizing, beautiful, and nothing short of brilliant. her voice is enchanting. it's great on album, but in a live setting... it just grabs you and embraces you in its innocent warmth. it's jaw-droppingly beautiful stuff. antti's accompaniment was great, too.

islaja offered up one of the most-rocking sets, accompanied by sala-arhimo (aka jukka). i especially loved the songs that jukka played bass and sang on. his and islaja's magical voice work very well together. islaja's voice is simply powerful, though. you can't get away from it. she played a number of songs i recognized, but it was mostly just about the entire moment, not the individual songs. it was great. i also have a new affinity for her for claiming that jan anderzen is their (the finns) "evil master from mordor!" (all said in an authentic possessed-by-satan voice). heh.

and then there was taikuri tali... nothing like the above two. taikuri tali (i believe) is antti tolvi's (perhaps best known for playing in finnish freejazz kings, rauhan orkesteri, with his brother jaakko) solo project. on this night, lau nau also played with him to create a wonderful collage of clattered folk sounds. it was hypnotizing, but wholly inspiring. their CDR on POK is lovely. and it was an added bonus that they wore blankets and scarves (or something!) over their heads. heh.

of the non-finns.. while davenport were fantastic and in a mode like i'd never heard them, the skaters stole the show. it's hard to believe that two guys sitting on the floor can create such sounds. it was a deep, dronning spiritual sludge. seriously, the way that the low-frequency wails completely infected your blood... it was like a fucking religious experience. consider me converted. i've long enjoyed the racket that james ferraro and spencer clark have released on various CDRs and tapes, but none of it comes close to seeing them live. it was fantastic.

the whole weekend was great. i am more inspired than i've been in a long, long time. it was also wonderful to finally meet a bunch of people i've been corresponding with throughe mail for the past year or more. lee jackson and i will be co-writing a lengthier recap for foxy digitalis, complete with pictures (and, i hope!, mp3s).

now, i just need to figure out how i can move to finland...

empires to ashes

check out our new politicoblog: empires to ashes

because i'm just too pissed of these days to shut-up.

PLEASE DONATE

please donate to the red cross or any other aid organizations to help those who have been affected by hurricane katrina and the absolute ineptness of this administration and the federal government. this is an amazing tragedy and these people need help.

red cross

what we are witnessing goes beyond partisan politics. what we are seeing is a catastrophe of epic proportions and the blood is on the hands of the federal government. this is inexcusable. there was more than TWO DAYS warning to evacuate these people before the storm hit. but in this land where all men are surely not created equal, the poor, the sick... they have been told by the united states government with resounding clarity: YOU DO NOT MATTER. WE DO NOT CARE ABOUT YOU.

for five years we have witnessed this administration commit horrid atrocities, but this... this is too much. i have no words to express my disgust. this is unacceptable. there will be hell to pay.

"That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness." - 4th sentence from the declaration of independence.


PLEASE DONATE!!!!!