Nov. 28, 2020 – Yesterday was the 78th birthday of Jimi Hendrix. I had intended to post this on the blessed day itself, just to prove that I don’t only commemorate artists on the anniversary of their death. But the truth is, I was having a really hard time narrowing it down to one essential song.
Read MoreOne Song: Nick Drake /
Nov. 25, 2020 – British singer-songwriter Nick Drake died forty-six years ago today, age 26, from an accidental overdose of anti-depressants. He only recorded three albums while he was alive. Each has its charms, but if I have to choose just one song from his entire catalog…
Read MoreSteve Roden / Small Cruel Party split LP /
Nov. 21, 2020 – Stratégies Obliques is a new split LP with work by Steve Roden (and me) on one side and Small Cruel Party on the other, released on the Ferns label in France. This was the last musical project I’ve worked on since COVID-19 hit and the world changed.
Read MoreOne Song: Lou Reed /
Oct. 27, 2020 – On the seventh anniversary of Lou Reed’s passing, I’m kicking off an ongoing series of posts called One Song, in which I insanely try to narrow down the catalog of an artist I admire to just one essential moment.
Read MoreTime Pieces /
Oct. 23, 2020 – I’ve recently come across several beautiful projects relating to time and duration: a segment on This American Life about a composer with a speech impediment; a performance by Bill T. Jones and dancers with visual artist Lee Mingwei and vocalist Holland Andrews; the wonderful documentary My Octopus Teacher; also, a brief remembrance of composer Jon Gibson.
Read MoreTwo Museum Shows in Europe /
Oct. 19, 2020 – I have work in two museum exhibitions that open this month in Europe – Audiosphere at Museo Reina Sofia, Madrid and Tree Time at Museo della Scienza in Trento, Italy. Of course, I won’t get to see them and probably neither will many other people thanks to COVID. But here’s what I know about them.
Read MoreThree Rooms reissued /
Oct. 15, 2020 – I’m pleasantly surprised to learn that the SIRR-ecords label in Lisbon has re-issued my album Three Rooms as a digital download. I was equally surprised when they originally released it on CD in 2007. This album documents three sound installations from a time when that was mostly what I was doing.
Read MoreLoma: Don't Shy Away /
Oct. 10, 2020 – It’s pretty rare that I get excited about contemporary popular music. Not for lack of trying. I do make an effort to keep my ear to the ground and my mind open. I’d hate to be some cranky old fart who thinks all the good music stopped happening after I turned thirty.
Read MoreTiny Holes – City of Siege: Olympia /
Oct. 6, 2020 – A million years ago – in 1981, to be precise – I was in a rock band. Several of them, in fact. Those were the early days of (post-) punk in the Northwest, before Sub Pop and K and Kill Rock Stars put our little town of Olympia, WA on the map.
Read MoreThree Point Circle: Layered Contingencies /
Oct. 5, 2020 – One month ago the first CD by Three Point Circle was released on the Palace of Lights label. This is an ambient “group” featuring Marc Barreca, K. Leimer, and myself. I met them both around 1980. So this collaboration was long overdue. At one point back in 2017 I casually said something like, “Hey, if you ever want to do a trio thing…” Careful what you ask for!
Read MoreRemember blogs? /
Sep. 29, 2020 – There was a time when people shared their thoughts and interests with others via these things called blogs. Then social media came along and undercut the medium, rendering it rather quaint and antiquated. But social media has become more and more anti-social. While I’ve enjoyed keeping up with friends on Facebook over the years, it’s become increasingly toxic.
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