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10 years ago
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Celebrity ghost writer Michael Malice is the subject of Harvey Pekar's Ego & Hubris, and is best known for co-authoring books with prominent personalities like comedian D.L. Hughley. In an interview, Pekar aptly describes Malice as someone who is "motivated by things that are different than what motivates other people." Take his recent output Dear Reader: The Unauthorized Autobiography of Kim Jong Il, which explores the life and influence of the beloved/feared former North Korean leader. Funded by a successful Kickstarter campaign, Malice breathes new life into a little odd man from a "hermit kingdom" that many in the West would rather sweep under the rug of history.
He's also a fanatic of obscure 80s finds.
Follow him, Dear Reader, at @MichaelMalice. In the meantime, discover three of his prized personal possessions after the jump.
-Jacqueline Colette Prosper, @yummicoco
1) Traditional North Korean Suit
Backstory:
[When I was] going to North Korea, one of the things I really wanted was a handmade North Korean suit. There was someone on my tour who had one of those accordion cameras, like 1890s-y, but it was digital, and my guide did not know what that was. I'm like "oh, it's hipster," and then I tried to explain what "hipster" means. To a North Korean it was very hard for me to do, but fortunately good friend Nichelle Stephens had given me a definition years ago to mean "someone who likes anything that's old," so I said that's what "hipster" means. Later[...]
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10 years ago
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There isn't a more musically diverse city than New York. The boroughs boast every kind of venue, from coffee shops to concert halls. From Barclays to The Bowery to The Silent Barn, there is a constant flow of musicians moving amongst, around and through NYC. Whether they are defining or defying a genre, each strive to make their mark. This blog aims to explore that journey and report on what the natives and newcomers are coming up with. On the 3rd and 20th of every month we will post on the up and coming, the established, the solo acts and the full bands, doing our best to bring you what's news and what's new. Open mic nights, co-headlined tours, battles of the bands and quality buskers are all fair game; we aim to bring you a mix of everything. We want to include the five person Balkan brass bands, the shoegazing indie rockers, head-smashing metal acts and whatever else this city may culture in its midsts. We understand that the NYC music scene is ever changing and we plan to keep pace. We won't tell you who to see or who to listen to, but if you would like suggestions we're here to help. We will be posting interviews, concert recaps, album reviews and any related news, all with the aim of making you a better informed listener. Welcome and we hope you enjoy the ride.
About your blogger: Zoe Marquedant grew up listening to, playing and illegally downloading (whoops) music. Nowadays there is rarely a moment when she does not have her headphones in. Although a longstand[...]
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10 years ago
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There's have been so many good electronic- and dance-music releases coming out lately that our heads are spinning…but we've conquered our vertigo enough that we can tell you about two of our favorite recent releases. As an added bonus, both of them have a strong Gotham component - go, home team!—Bruce Tantum
New York Endless
Strategies EP
(Golf Channel Recordings)
“Scale Those Heights,” off the debut EP from New York Endless, is bedecked with the following ornamentation: a metronomic, tick-tocking rhythm; percolating, cascading synths; a spare, haunting melody and, when a four-chord keyboard pattern kicks in around the three-minute mark, a quietly triumphant ambiance. In short, it’s a gorgeous tune that’s not far removed from the work of Kraftwerk, especially the often-meditative, flowing music the German quartet produced for mid-period albums such as ’77's Trans-Europe Express and ’78's The Man-Machine—and for Dan Selzer, the man behind New York Endless, that likely would be the ultimate tribute. Selzer, a veteran DJ and longtime underground presence (he runs the postpunk/new-wave–oriented label Acute Records, among many other claims to fame), doesn’t keep his love of Kraftwerk, and specifically, the combo's “Europe Endless,” a secret, and the shimmering aesthetic of that song and that album runs strong on this EP.
Which is not to say that Selzer has made a slavish, gently cosmic Kraftwerk copy here. “Scale Those Heights” is a full-bodied and muscular work, closer[...]
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10 years ago
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Welcome to We Learn Dances, an occasional series on the people, parties and (most of all) music that make clubland the wonderful place it is. The focus will be on the slightly more refined, artistically oriented end of the nightlife spectrum—yes, such a thing exists, believe it or not—rather than on the superficial pleasures afforded by either the bottle-service scene or the EDM world. At least, that’s the plan.
We’re kicking the series off with a man who’s intimately familiar with the concept of sophisticated dance music, Dennis “Citizen” Kane. He’s been an integral part of NYC’s nightlife since the mid-’90s, when the Philly transplant hit NYC and established himself in the underground scene as one of its most knowledgeable DJs; since then, he’s since played scores of venues across the city and around the world. He’s established a pair of respected record labels: Disques Sinthomme, which has released a wide range of work featuring the likes of Max Essa, the Beat Broker, Liquid Liquid’s Sal Principato and Richard “Padded Cell” Sen, and an edit imprint, Ghost Town, which has seen contributions from Brennan Green and Bicep, among many other notables. He’s a talented producer himself, with material out on such respected labels as Tummy Touch, Ubiquity and Adult Contemporary (track down his mix of Yagya’s “Rigning Sjö” on that last label—it’s killer.) His website, dsgtnyc.com, hosts a rather amazing podcast that’s featured sets from such international stars as DJ Harvey, Prins[...]
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10 years ago
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Definition of the word HOME- -n- the place in which one’s domestic affections are centered; adv-deep; to the heart ♥ ; v. to navigate toward a point by means of coordinates other than those given by altitudes.
H.O.M.E. - as an acronym it can be interpreted as wherever you call home. Some might say it’s "wherever you lay your head at night" and that definition may or may not be odds with the dictionary, but it may still be correct. The word HOME has many meanings to many people.
Hence the title of our film, H.O.M.E., as an acronym
home-print
This is where the genesis began. To feature the themes of individuals in New York City who are experiencing urban alienation through an immigrant perspective. Throughout this writing process we decided that eliminating one of the previously planned 3 stories would create a stronger body for the script that would allow the 2 stories to complement each other to still retain the idea that these are not stand alone accounts but a multitude that would convey the essence behind the themes of the film. Hence the synopsis
H.O.M.E. is a feature film about the human condition, comprised of 2 different but related stories involving characters who have intimate and meaningful encounters through the lens of a disconnected and alienating city. Set in New York City, the characters in these stories find themselves in an internal struggle with their environment and proceed to navigate through their path of understanding.
The basis for th[...]
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10 years ago
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As a relatively new member and contributor to Art For Progress I wanted to take this opportunity to explain what drew me to the organization and what it has meant to me over the past year and a half. I also, wanted to congratulate all of those who have helped the organization to serve the local community for 10 years. That is truly an amazing feat! As we look ahead to the second half of the summer, I thought it might also be a good idea to give a little preview of what to expect for the rest of the summer from our local music scene in NYC.
Firstly, any great organization is made up of great people and I realized early on that AFP was no exception. The dedication of the teachers and volunteers was evident from the first event I attended and has not waned since. This first event was a workshop at the gallery of an AFP artist called NOoSPHERE ARTS. The workshop was aimed at introducing young children from the LES to music, art and photography. At one point in the day two young kids started making music, one on the cowbell and one on the keyboard. It was at this moment that I truly understood the impact of what AFP was doing and the passion of the teachers who dedicate their time to this organization.
AFP is a true grassroots effort and that was one of the things that attracted me to it. This past fall and winter we organized a monthly live music event called “Homegrown,” that featured local acts from the NYC area, ten in total. The quality of the music was a testament[...]
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10 years ago
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Many thanks to Art For Progress for creating this forum to allow it's artists/bloggers a platform to discuss their multi -creative disciplines as well as specific works of art . I've been a member/artist of AFP for a long time and have happily witnessed their growth over their ten years! As a NYC independent filmmaker for 20 years, I'm glad they asked me to blog about film. Being new to blogging, I was at first excited then nervous. This was due to the many different directions I could take. So I feel the best way to start is from my own experience in directing my first full length feature film entitled "H.O.M.E."
Not to get into my filmography/resume too much but I've been writing, producing and directing short films for 20 years. I've worked in the industry on production crews for most of that span which also includes many various other roles I've played whether in post production, programming or even assisting in running film festivals! Let's just say instead of getting the "ol feet wet" I jumped into the pool and have been swimming ever since. In recent years, I'd been focusing more on my own personal projects to cultivate that "dream career" of being an artist/filmmaker in NYC. Well everyone knows by now how difficult that can be and so you better know how to "hustle" in order to juggle your creative aspirations with the reality of living in the most artistically competitive places on earth. With the personal projects, i.e. short films, I was able to hone in [...]
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