New Holy F%&k Video!!!

yay, sayer!

photo by: Joshua Brasted

Last Saturday night at the House of Blues Washed Out and Yeasayer performed right in the middle of this crazy good week of music here in New Orleans. Unfortunately I missed the chill wave of opening act Washed Out, who played with a whole band on Saturday night. Last time I had the opportunity to see Ernest Greene, he performed alone so bit was a huge disappointment to miss him with his entire band, though it didn’t really take to long to get over it after Yeasayer began playing.

The psych-experimental rock band opened with “Madder Red” from their newest album Odd Blood. Its very clear right from the beginning of a Yeasayer show that they have a very unique live performance style. Their lights and stage props give off the impression that five deformed saints are leading followers through a spiritual experience as the band utilizes their many resources, including samplers and electric instruments to form their eclectic sound. By the time of the fourth song “Red Cave,” the last track on their freshman album All Hour Cymbals, I had finally forgotten the disappointment that came with missing Washed Out; the live rendition of this song was euphoric.

The band did a decent job of playing both new and old songs throughout the set, but they understandably tended to favor their new album, and a few older favorites, like “Many Waves,” were left out. They closed with the obvious crowd favorite, “Ambling Alp,” the first single from their latest album, but were back on stage very shortly for an encore to play “The Children” and “2080,” the most popular song from their debut album. All and all this was a pretty good show. They were very tight as a group and interesting from top to bottom, but there did seem to be a slight sense of personality change among the band. If I think back to last year, when they were still touring on All Hour Cymbals, I can’t help but be a bit nostalgic for the old Yeasayer.

-Justen Cheney

photo by: Joshua Brasted

For more pictures from the show,

check out Joshua's Flickr.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/brasted/

Yeasayer - Red Cave

Moo

Greetings from upriver. 

This is not a story. These are two minutes of my life, maybe 5 moments give or take, that I thought I'd share in the following daisy-chain of 102 words. Feel free to enjoy. And for those with similar minutes, feel free to print it out and sign your name to it.  

Putting on the suit was humiliating. My enormous, pit-stained manager waddles over with the 60-inch spotted pants. “Hold this sign too,” chimes Brian, smiling like a light bulb, teeth full of gaps. He puts Maggie’s head on me—an initiative rite to commence my journey.

“Maggie is now joining our souls, Brian. It’s a miracle. I’m without sense of being or self-individualization—a living corporate logo; a new age pusher; economic savior. Can you feel it?”

“Yes.”  He’s not kidding.

Walking out into the machine gun sun on Olive, I reach my hoof skyward, flipping off Brian beneath my fuzzy cow mitten.

What lies in our near future?

An older gentleman researches what all the hubbub is about with the rising trend of these so-called 'facials' in pornography. The eternal questions of where we came from and what is our purpose here is finally answered. Hint: Two alligators who go by Bud and Margie. A Chicago homeless man in need of a throat specialist explains (briefly) the plight of knowing Greek mobsters. And finally, a sonnet gets mean.

With love for the written word, cities on the river, and most people.

Devendra, Devendra!

photo by: Joshua Brasted

Us folks here in New Orleans were lucky enough last night to spend an evening with Devendra Banhart and his lovely band the Grogs. The band stopped in to perform at the House of Blues before making their way to Texas, where they will play several more shows before ending their North American tour on Sunday at Austin City Limits.  Despite his fancy new record deal with Warner Bros., who released his latest studio album, What Will We Be, about this time last year, Devendra is still the fun folk freak I’ve been dying to see for years.

Banhart received a warm welcome when he made his first appearance on stage looking somewhat austere in a plaid shirt, tie, leather jacket, and glasses. The band opened with an older favorite, “Long Haired Child,” and then played what I believe to be one of the better tracks on the newest album, “Baby.”

The crowd got some personal time with Devendra about half way through the set when the supporting members of the band retired back stage so that he could play several songs alone. The first solo track performed was “Little Yellow Spider,” one of Devendra’s many venerations to both animals and nature. Before the bands reemergence from back stage Banhart played one of my all time personal favorites, “The Body Breaks,” and I can’t help but noting here that this beautiful piece was the high light of the entire evening for me, because I had successfully requested it from the crowd; admit it people, we all love when that happens…

Other high points of the show included forceful performances of both “Seahorse,” from Smokey Rolls Down Thunder Canyon, and “Rats,” an anthem particularly reminiscent of Led Zeppelin, from the latest album What Will We Be.  The final high light of the show came, of course, with the encore when Banhart and company played a song I’m sure everyone had been waiting to hear all night: “I Feel Just Like a Child.”

Following the show Devendra left plenty of time to meet and talk with fans and he’s just as nice as anyone could ever imagine him. I was lucky enough later to spend a bit of time with two of Banharts band mates, Noah Georgeson, who produced two of Devendra’s previous albums, and who has one of his own entitled Find Shelter, and Gregory Rogove, Devendra’s collaborator in the 2008 album Surfing, released under the moniker Megapuss. These were two of the nicest and humble musicians I could’ve hoped to spend time with. When asked about their experience performing last night, they had only one complaint: that the crowd seemed a bit awkward at times. Now, before anyone gets upset, we can take a bit of constructive criticism New Orleans. Let us always remember our southern hospitality when bands this talented and personable visit our wonderful city.    

If there are any of you out there afraid that just because he cut all his hair off and stood up straight that he isn’t the same eccentric he was, let me be the first to quell those doubts; he’s just as freaky as ever and it sounds oh so good.

If you don’t believe me, see for yourself:

photo by: Joshua Brasted

photo by: Joshua Brasted

photo by: Joshua Brasted

For more pictures from the show, visit Joshua's flickr!!!! 

http://www.flickr.com/photos/brasted/

-Justen Cheney

Brian Eno - 2 Forms of Anger

This new track, taken from electronic music all-star Brian Eno's forthcoming album Small Craft on a Milk Sea, is a gloomy and twisted masterpiece that lives up to it's title. The first couple of minutes implement minimalist techniques and contain various dark samples and dry electric guitar riffs that steadily build up to a full-fledged rock eruption making this track truly what it claims to be: 2 Forms of Anger.
Small Craft of a Milk Sea drops 11/02/10 on Warp Records


Brian Eno - 2 Forms Of Anger (taken from Small Craft On A Milk Sea) by Warp Records

-Justen

First Post, Stripsters!

Art/official is a group of New Orleans friends and students dedicated to
exploring and sharing our findings within the aesthetic world of art. Such
findings, contained within this website include, but are not limited to
visual art, music, and literature.

As avid lovers of art and music, we are also interested in providing
public spaces throughout the city of New Orleans for others to enjoy and
discover things previously unmapped within this city we all love so much.
Collectively, we have recognized the opportunity we share to lead and
establish a new sub-culture that is currently and generally unfamiliar to
our city, and this is our first step.

Past influences throughout our lives have inexplicably led us to one
another and as a consequence have encouraged us to collaborate in the
mission of sharing and inspiring others. A brief list of our influences
include: furry animals, dancing, guitars, that one movie about a dog that learns to
play basketball, disco, animal collective, sharing music, sharing other
things, pangloss, the national, band of bees, philosophy,trust, ben
harper, paolo coelho, story of the eye, kerouac, emerson and thoreau,
beer, wine, and wiskey, candlelit dinners, families, friends, sunglasses,
the ocean, full-frontal female nudity, insight, john goodman, the earth,
the universe, self-awareness, nature, knowledge, and compassion for all living
things.

If there are gods, they favor us.

Check out this first playlist and check back sooooon!

Clive Tanaka y su Orquesta- Neu Chicago
Deerhunter - He Would Have Laughed
White Arrows - Coming or Going (RAC Remix)
Best Coast - Crazy For You
Julian Lynch - Just Enough
Breakbot - Baby I'm Yours
Panda Bear - Slow Motion
Women - Eyesore
Everything Everything - MY KZ, UR BF (Grum Remix)
Harlem - Gay Human Bones