Occupy

1% of Americans own 42% of US financial wealth.
The US ranks 93rd in "Income Inequality" (behind China, India and Iran.)

Occupy protests have spread to over 50 cities.
Over 10,000 people marched in Portland last week.
JP Morgan & Chase donated $4.6 Million to the NYPD on the eve of protests.
(The largest in the foundation's history)

There is a lot of unrest out there.  People that are not normally politically active now find themselves in an emotional throng of protesters.  The apathetic, confronted with the 99% statistic, are provoked to think about the nature of our political system.  Regardless of your perspective on the protests, there is no denying that there is a movement taking place that has challenged the status quo.  It is refreshing to know that common people, when organized, still have a voice and are capable of creating an atmosphere that makes change possible.

I hear people saying that they are frustrated with the lack of structure and demands from the swarming masses, but this is still the early stages of a movement.  I say let them voice their frustrations.  Give them the mic.  We'll get into the specific financial and legal corporate reforms once leaders organically emerge.
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And of course, unsettling times call for unsettling music.  These songs are on the darker side that reflect the greedy, dog-eat-dog nature of capitalism.  If you think about it too long you start to worry where we will be in 50 years...

1. Radiohead - Up On the Ladder
2. Do Make Say Think- The Landlord is Dead
   Half of Canada's Godspeed! You Black Emperor make dark, winding multi-instrumentals that scare the hell out of me.
3. The Constantines - Life or Death
   Wish I could sing like this.
4. Radiohead - Go To Sleep (Little Man Being Erased)
   "We don't want the monster taking over"
5. Radiohead - Codex
   Sorry about all the Radiohead, but this was a quick mix and they kind of own this sound.
6. Bob Dylan - When the Ship Comes In
   Classic. 

Here are some good reads on the movement, it's methods and what can actually be achieved.

Business Insider "What the Protesters Are So Angry About"
Krugman, Panic of the Plutocrats
Video: Kristof, Advice for the Wall Street Protesters
Must see video explaining Citizens United vs. FEC
Foreign Policy: Why the Wall Street Protests Actually Matter
The stats behind "The 53%"
Brooks, reminding us that simply protesting will get us nowhere in The Milquetoast Radicals

And a video from the Brooklyn Filmmakers Collective. 
I like how they let the ambient sound tell the story rather than a narrative.

MFNW - Day Four

Typhoon in Pioneer Square

Saturday
Explosions in the Sky
The Antlers
Typhoon
Eluvium

Portland's Living Room was the perfect setting to experience the instrumental post-rock of Explosions in the Sky and the big-picture ambient droning of Eluvium.  Pioneer Courthouse Square is a brick covered park in downtown Portland that is surrounded by skyscrapers and constant city life.  

If you bought a wristband to MusicFest NW you were able to go to every club show and one of the big three shows (Iron & Wine, Band of Horses and Explosions).  Having seen Band of Horses before (excellent) and being not so enthused about I&W's newest release I opted to see Explosions in the Sky again given the urban setting.  The fact that you had to put some thought into going to this show meant that everyone there really did want to see one of these bands.  You could tell this type of crowd could get into emotionally charged power chords and maybe even a Friday Night Lights episode or two.

Can you count how many people are wearing feathers in their caps?

I have been a big fan of Matthew Cooper's ambient releases as Eluvium for a long time.  Ambient music requires a certain setting and the listener to be in certain mood in order for it not to sound like overhyped nonsense.  Don't click on these links and expect to immediately "get it".  Don't even try to listen.  Instead I encourage you to listen to something like Indoor Swimming at the Space Station  as you go to sleep tonight.  Eluvium excels at transferring emotion and atmosphere into long pieces that truly transport the listener to a different level of consciousness.  Time seems to slow down and reality is observed rather than experienced.  I believe they call it "an out of body experience."
   Going to an ambient concert is bizarre in that nothing much happens in the way of visuals but yet there is an incredible layering of sound for your brain to process.  Eluvium's Matthew Cooper (Portland via Kentucky) came on stage in a humble manner, picked up his guitar and slowly hypnotized everyone in attendance.  It didn't make sense at first, but once he had looped a few guitar lines without you noticing, the streetcar that could be seen over the venue wall slowed down and the sun on the skyscrapers turned a little more orange as their shadows shifted to the right.  By the time Cooper finished Underwater It Glowed I had to shake my head to remember where I was.  He played a few gentle piano pieces like Radio Ballet that didn't quite hit home for me like they do on the album.  He ended by looping a dark, sustained piano tone to the point where it absorbed every other sound. 
  And then it stopped.

Typhoon huddle up before the show.

Oregon native Typhoon was next up.  Kyle Morton could put on an interesting singer-songwriter show all by himself but he takes it to the next level by inviting 12 or 13 ragtag musicians to bounce through his serious harmonies with him.  I was getting hints of Arcade Fire.  Two synchronized drummers made the live show pretty fun to watch and the band has a clear chemistry on stage as if they're delighted to be together let alone playing to a big audience.
   The Antlers play some version of post-rock that I never care to listen to again.  Too many bad hairdos and I'm sure there's some street performing drummer that could have done a better job in the percussion department.  Although there was a cool moment when a fire truck drove by with its siren blaring and surprisingly, instead of ruining the music it went perfectly with the sparse, distorted guitars and moody keys.  

Explosions in the Sky playing that one song where the running back beats that one tackle only to turn around and see his girlfriend necking with the new kid in the bleachers.

The guys in Explosions have clearly been seeing some success.  They know which songs people have played on repeat late at night while they waited for sunrise or walked by that one swing set.  First Breath After Coma and Your Hand In Mine definitely steal the show.  They also have somewhat of a light show that adds to the "epic" effect.  

Seeing them again reminds me why they were so cool to begin with.  They play conventional rock instruments in a different manner entirely.  Instead of simply picking a rock beat, drummer Chris Hrasky will do a build up on the cymbals to set the scene and then fire off machine gun snares.  Basic song structures are nowhere to be found and stories are told through quiet periods (there were literally a few moments of complete silence) and suspenseful, quick passages.  Long before Friday Night Lights hit the small screen EITS evoked the stark desolation of small Texas towns (its home state).  Yet despite this bleak setting their is a sense that change can occur, that there are bigger players at work here....that there is hope.
  

Musicfest Northwest wraps up under a harvest moon.

Images: Noel

MFNW Preview

 

All my new-playlist-digging time has been devoted to biking around to different shows at Music Fest Northwest this week.  (Think Austin's SXSW, but smaller and with more moustaches.)  Now I don't see this blog as a music journalism site, but when an expertly curated music festival happens to occur in your city and you find yourself blogging about music, then well, I guess you should at least mention the highlights. 

All that and more is still to come, because the Fest is only getting started (it began on Wednesday), but in the meantime here are some well-crafted songs that I have come across while sifting through the largely underground lineup.

 Celilo - Baroque Blues myspace

 Blind Pilot - The Story I Heard

Typhoon - The Sickness Unto Death/The Honest Truth (first video)

The Heligoats - Goodness Gracious 
and Glass of Water (second video)
 

p.s. If you have time look at the Willamette Week's write-up on each artist.  They manage to capture each act's essence, history and hook in a few sentences.  Excellent reporting. 

If A Tree Falls: The Story of the Earth Liberation Front

Have you heard about The Earth Liberation Front?  They are a international environmental action group that use (in its own words) "economic sabotage and guerrilla warfare to stop the exploitation and destruction of the environment" through non-violent means.  Originally founded in the UK in 1992, ELF opposes activities charged with exploiting the environment like genetically modified farming, urban sprawl, McMansions, SUVs, energy production and deforestation.  To carry out their opposition ELF groups will often burn or destroy companies and housing developments that contribute to natural degradation.  Some attacks have included the arson of a $50 million dollar housing development in San Diego in protest of urban sprawl and the torching of a Hummer dealership costing the owner $450,000 in damages.
   The group claims they are non-violent by saying that no living thing has ever been hurt in one of their attacks.  Regardless in 2005 the FBI said ELF was "the greatest domestic terrorist threat" pointing to the tens of millions of dollars in damages.  I will not get into the particular politics and categorization of such an organization other than to say it would make for a great documentary.
   Which is exactly what filmmakers Marshall Curry and Sam Cullman have done.  I haven't seen it yet but if this trailer (see below) is any indication of the finished product then I'm excited.  It reminds me of another activist documentary about the controversial radical group The Weather Underground of the 1960's.  If A Tree Falls follows the story of Daniel McGowan who was involved with one of the more active groups in Oregon that argued amongst itself about whether or not to cross the line into physical violence and go after captains of industry.
   So before I get on an FBI watch list for this post I will get to the music...
The trailer uses Cherry Tree by The National from the fantastic Cherry Tree EP.  Besides Fake Empire I have not listened to too much of their catalog although I have heard great things about their live shows.  Has anyone seen them? They have a knack for covering real world problems with poetic flair and an anthemic tone.  For example, I can't think of better lyrics for a environmental action documentary:

Dont look at me
I'm only breathing
Dont look at me I'm indiscreet
...
Can we show
A little discipline
Can we

These lyrics confront the uncomfortable truth that it is easy to ignore environmental degradation when it does not interrupt our immediate lifestyles.  The vicious thing about environmental destruction is that it slowly but steadily increases until oftentimes it is too late to reverse the pervasive forces of Mother Earth.  Aggressive timber logging could lead to more dangerous flooding for years to come.  Risky hydraulic fracturing to mine natural gas may yield terrific economic benefits in the short term but seriously pollute the water systems of thousands of towns in the long run.

Can we show a little discipline?

(p.s. For more information on fracking and it's implications for our water visit EPA.gov.)

The National Park Project

"In 1911 Parks Canada was founded, becoming the first National Park Service in the world.  On the eve of it's centennial Canada's finest artists embarked on a historic expedition to capture the majesty of the landscape in music and film."

The National Parks Project is a collaboration between 39 of Canada's best musicians, 13 of it's finest filmmakers and 13 National Parks.  The artists traveled to their chosen park and recorded the score on location.
   The result is a great EP about the "magic, menace and meaning of the Canadian landscape."  Tony Dekker of Great Lake Swimmers would be my favorite musician in the lineup but there are others: Old Man Luedecke, Daniela Gesundheit (Snowblink), Sebastien Grainger, Jennifer Castle & Dan Werb (Woodhands).  You can "tour" each park and stream the EP on NPP's beautiful website.  Planet Earth fans rejoice.  All of the profits go to the Nature Conservancy of Canada that works to preserve Canada's diverse landscapes.

Brett Dennen

Brett Dennen seems like a nice guy.  He invites local non-profits to come to his shows to display what they do in the community and how fans can get involved.  Check it out here: Love Speaks.

He plays an earthy acoustic guitar.  Watch Brett play his new song around one mic and let me know what you think.  Reminds me of a more mainstream Jon Swift.

Brett's fourth album Loverboy is out now: BretDennen.net

Eyjafjallajökull Time-Lapse

So I saw all of these mediocre pictures of that volcano in Iceland nobody can pronounce the name of, so I figured I should go and do better.
                                                             - Sean Stiegemeier

Nice.
Set to Jónsi - Kolniður

Happy Friday - Dub

 

Some laid back dub to get you acquainted with the heat.  Wash these down with a Red Stripe.

Im & David - Wish Bone (Funky Reggae LP, )

Brethren/Tapper Zukie - Rub a Dub a Weh Them Want (Trojan Dub Rarities Box, )

Love the tone and mood from these horns.

Augustus Pablo - Fat Girl Jean (Trojan Dub Rarities Box, )

Sepalcure - Your Love (Fleur EP, )

Breezy and creative buildups from Brooklyn.

Monster Rally - Rainbow Rd. (Coral, )

Super catchy loop.  Had to include it's video by Green Crate Films below.  It's a great example of what lo-fi can do for a soundtrack.  It takes a completely different, almost comedic take on an intense scene.  His albums are up on his bandcamp page for pay what you want.

Have a good weekend.

1

Mickey Smith

What do you think it is about the ocean that is so inspiring?

"That it is in perpetual motion,with a constant flow of energy moving through it,and has so many moods and faces.  It's a positive environment for me,it clears my head and heart."
                                                                                                       -Mickey Smith

Mickey Smith is a British surf photographer with a soul that is capable of capturing the beauty and fierceness of the ocean while showcasing how minute a few surfers are on the corner of her surface.  Smith's perspective and style works especially well with the cold, rugged Irish coastline.  Dark Side of the Lens is a short on his experiences as a photographer in a dangerous yet calming environment and why he chooses to get up every morning.

  If you dig this watch the half hour short film, Powers of Three, that was shot during the Dark Side months.  Powers is a powerful convergence of man and nature, "a group portrait of human camaraderie and togetherness cast against the stark beauty of Ireland’s jagged coast."

DARK SIDE OF THE LENS from Astray Films on Vimeo.

Shabazz'd

I was going to say this was perfect for a sticky, hot afternoon walking the city streets where you randomly see an ice cream truck and decide it's been too long since you've had one of those snowcones with the gumball at the bottom.
   I was going to say that... until I read this:

This video contains footage from the upcoming documentary by Village Beat titled Tough Bond — a film about kids sniffing glue to survive street life in Kenya’s disappearing villages and exploding urban slums.
Original documentary score was provided by Shabazz Palaces. 
Learn more about the film and cause at Village Beat.org
                      -Sub Pop

And if I'm on a Shabazz Palaces kick then I might as well post his Belhaven Meridian video.

An allegorical short film/music video beautifully shot on 35mm black & white film in Watts, Los Angeles, "Belhaven Meridian" is a one-shot homage to Charles Burnett's 1977 classic KILLER OF SHEEP.

 

Time Lapse Appreciation

"I had the pleasure of visiting El Teide.  Spain´s highest mountain @(3718m) is one of the best places in the world to photograph the stars and is also the location of Teide Observatories, considered to be one of the world´s best observatories.

The goal was to capture the beautiful Milky Way galaxy along with one of the most amazing mountains I know El Teide. I have to say this was one of the most exhausting trips I have done. There was a lot of hiking at high altitudes and probably less than 10 hours of sleep in total for the whole week....

A large sandstorm hit the Sahara Desert on the 9th April (bit.ly/​g3tsDW) and at approx 3am in the night the sandstorm hit me, making it nearly impossible to see the sky with my own eyes.

Interestingly enough my camera was set for a 5 hour sequence of the milky way during this time and I was sure my whole scene was ruined. To my surprise, my camera had managed to capture the sandstorm which was backlit by Grand Canary Island making it look like golden clouds. The Milky Way was shining through the clouds, making the stars sparkle in an interesting way. So if you ever wondered how the Milky Way would look through a Sahara sandstorm, look at 00:32."

                  via Terj Sorgjerd and Johnny

A/V Sidebar

I have added an Audio & Visual sidebar for revolving videos and clips that need to be shared.  As always forward me some quality ones that you come across.

This video from Betty Wants In is nothing short of jaw-dropping.  I could frame almost every still frame in this piece.  Really, really nice work.

Also I have linked my Flickr page at the bottom of the site in case you want to see some mediocre pictures of flowers and the ocean.

Experience Human Flight from Betty Wants In on Vimeo.