Alice Cohen Exhibition at Live With Animals Gallery

Earlier today, Olde English Spelling Bee announced that Williamsburg gallery Live With Animals will be hosting their very own Alice Cohen’s debut solo art exhibition from August 7th to 29th. Normally, I would politely ignore any mention of cultural activities taking place in New York City, because 99.9% of the time I live here in Morgantown, where New York famously isn’t. On this occasion, I can happily let you all know, because I’ll be in town for a week and it will be totally within my power to drop by. I might even not drop by. Who knows. But at least I had a choice. Here’s OESB’s briefing and a preview of a Cohen film set to debut at the opening tonight:

The ever-amazing Alice Cohen has been super busy for the last couple months putting together her first solo art show for the Live With Animals gallery in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. The show is titled “Mirror Moves For Private Eyes” and will feature paintings, collages, installations, and a brand new 15 minute long animated video that she also created a soundtrack for (an excerpt from the video is below).

There will be musical performances at tonite’s opening by Labanna Bly (P.A.R.A.) and the mysterious Mechanick Preachers (Upstairs cdr / Irma Vep Tapes). The opening party will be from 7 to 10 p.m. – and there will be an afterparty at Manhattan Inn in Greenpoint. Live With Animals is at Metropolitan & Kent in the same building as Monster Island and Secret Project Robot. Below are some snapshots from the exhibit that I took yesterday.

Rest assured, it will be weird.

Dwight

Vitamins & Danny Shyman – Jean Painlevé’s “Liquid Crystals”

Crawford of Denver, CO’s Vitamins just sent over a link to video they helped score, along with Danny Shyman (also of Colorado) and producer Matthew Daniels. The score was composed for French Surrealist director Jean Painlevé’s 1937 short film “Liquid Crystals.” You may actually recognize Painlevé’s name from a similar project; Yo La Tengo composed part of the score for the Criterion Collection’s Science is Fiction: 23 Films by Jean Painlevé.

Cheerios,

Dwight

D.A. – Dallas Acid & Fall and Winter

This week I became aware of the slew of film projects that LA’s D.A. was working on. Based on the trailers above, the band seems uniquely suited to film scoring. Expect news on the documentary Fall and Winter before Dallas Acid, and a couple new releases on Olde English Spelling Bee before either one.

Alarming winters,

Dwight

A Classic Education

This video isn’t even remotely new, but it and Bologna’s A Classic Education are both worth checking out. They happen to be the regular home of His Clancyness, showcasing his and the band’s enormous capacity for making unambiguous, extremely catchy indie pop; full of hooks, lyrically interesting, and beautifully produced. They’ve recently signed to Lefse and are preparing a debut LP to consumate the relationship. In the meantime, here are a few mp3s…

A Classic Education – What My Life Could Have Been
A Classic Education – Spanish Harlem

Chuntle,

Dwight

His Clancyness – “Summer Majestic”

I’m a bit late getting this up, but last week Jamie Harley of Schmooze Blog began circulating the above video for His Clancyness’ “Summer Majestic.”

His Clancyness – Summer Majestic

While you’re at it, check out the latest His Clancyness release Always Mist, now out on Mirror Universe Tapes.

Cheers,

Dwight

Coma Cinema – “Only”

Awesome new video for Coma Cinema’s “Only,” off of sophomore LP Stoned Alone.

Cheerios,

Dwight

Lush Cola in Fort Collins, CO

Thought I’d return to the normal pace of posting and such with this groovy video of Weed Diamond’s Tim Perry performing a couple of his gorgeous ambient jams as Lush Cola in Fort Collins, CO.

Cheerios,

Dwight

The Queen’s Jew

The Queen’s Jew is the adequately named hand that Royal Rhino Flying is now raising into the air to wave at you inanely, hopeful of praise and good will. The contributors are a cross section of musicians that elevate contemporary music beyond the banal and the indecipherable, all of whom we are or will hopefully be collaborating with more in the future. Take The Queen’s Jew as both an introduction to a fine set of bands, and a label that – although it has nowhere near the technical ability to be a band – strives to excel in its own field. Don’t worry about the name of the compilation (google “the King’s Jew” if you want to scratch the surface and read some really fun academic literature) or of the label, and in conversation please consider dropping the “Records” bit… it serves its purpose, but the name is already hard enough to remember.

1. “Feeling Today” – Abacus
2. “Brain Cave Cable Car” – Devices Disguised
3. “You Need to Grow Up (Feat. Mad Squirrel)” – Meanest Man Contest
4. “Palms” – Visions of Trees
5. “Christmas 82″ – Jen Paul
6. “Memories Are Made of This” (The Everly Brothers Cover) – His Clancyness
7. “Jacket” – Weed Diamond
8. “Ain’t No Sunshine” (Bill Withers Cover) – Idiot Glee
9. “Julie (What’s That Spell?)” – Borrowed Beams of Light
10. “Nitzam” – Safe House
11. “Are We More Than Bones” – Cloud Nothings
12. “Predestination Paradox” – Adventure Violence
13. “In and Out of Bliss” – Boylant
14. “T. Lizzy” – Cough Cool
15. “One Day At A Time” (Marilyn Sellars Cover) – Pure Ecstasy
16. “Bury You Alive” – Panda Beach
17. “Up In That Ether” – Land of Blood and Sunshine
18. “Seizure to the Metronome” – GOBBLE GOBBLE
19. “A Million Elephants” – The Spookfish
20. “All We Are” – Wish
21. “Rainsand” – Mount McKinley
22. “Ivy King” – The New Lines
23. “Those Kids” – Tall Boys

Once again, many thanks to Liz Toler for designing The Queen’s Jew’s digital face. Though The Queen’s Jew is free to download in its entirety, we’re also preparing a limited edition CD version with packaging designed by Jheri Evans of Get Off The Coast, which can be preordered below and in our Order section.

Click here to download The Queen’s Jew

$7ppd, Domestic (US & Canada):

$9ppd, International (Rest of the World):

Tickity tonk,
Dwight P.

PS, much love.

PPS, check out Matt Duncan’s new EP on Lexington, KY’s Hop Hop Records. It kicks ass.

Zach Hill – “Green Bricks”

Hilarious, totally absurd video for Zach Hill’s song “Green Bricks” – his contribution to a four-way split 7″ on Life’s Blood that also includes Mason Lindahl, Ellie Fortune, Raleigh Moncrief. Should be a humdinger, although I think we can all agree in advance of the release that Raleigh Moncrief is definitely the best of at least those four names, if not all the names I’ve ever discussed with relation to anything. Now up for preorder in anticipation of a June ship-date.

Huggles,

Dwight

PS, The Queen’s Jew soon!

Wonder Wheel – “Let’s Go For A Walk On Broadway”

Funky new video for Wonder Wheel’s “Let’s Go For A Walk On Broadway,” off their album Succotash Xs, available on cassette from Life’s Blood and CD from the band. Look out for their Natural Selection cassette on Hobo Cult Records in a couple of weeks and their debut LP Wonder Wheel I on UK label Care in the Community Recordings.

Cheerios,

Dwight