National Jukebox

My friend and colleague Peter pointed out the coolest government website I have seen in some time: the National Jukebox from the Library of Congress.   It plays a selection of historical recordings: ragtime, choirs, gospel, etc.  Very neat.

Just another day in Bellingham, WA, 4

Unidentified: (Underpass--Binghamton, New York), 1934
Originally uploaded by americanartmuseum

Yesterday we went to the new Lightcatcher Building of the Whatcom Museum. Certainly one of the finest buildings in Bellingham, and a terrific exhibit from the Smithsonian. 1934: A New Deal For Artists. In late 1933 FDR set up the Public Works of Art Project, paying artists to create works about the American Scene. The exhibit has about 100 amazing works from this blossoming. My favorite is this stunning painting by an unidentified painter, of a new underpass in Binghamton, NY. To me it looks mysterious and classical, as if the other end of that tunnel could be ancient Athens. The gold miner is another masterpiece. (The Roosevelts chose to hang it in the White House). And my wife's favorite is a picture of cotton workers by an African-American painter who died at age 23...

After that we rushed over to the Episcopalian Church on Broadwat to hear the release concert for the third CD by Bellingham's premier klezmer band, What The Chelm. Great show and I am eagerly waiting for a chance to open Til Chem Freezes Over and pop it in the player.

Teaberry Shuffled

Deja vu all over again. I saw a container of Peaberry coffee and the words Teaberry Shuffle popped into my head. For the younger generation, the CLark Company put out a commercial for Teaberry Gum in 1967 using a maddeningly memorable tune by Herb ALpert and the Tijuana Brass. The tune was a huge hit and sold a lot of gum. I had no trouble pulling it out of my memory banks 40 years later. Here it is.

Soda Machine

I was listening to Fred Eaglesmith's album Drive-In Movie today and decided to see if there were any videos on Youtube. I'm not a big fan of country, and I guess that's what Eaglesmith does, but wow, what a great album.

You might say it's a theme album and the theme is: love and machines. No, not that kind of machine, wiseguy. The titles include "I Like Trains," "49 Tons (of Diesel Locomotive)," "Here's The Keys," etc. ONe of my favorites is "White Rose," which is about a gas station closing.

But the best song may be "Soda Machine."

Virtual Choir

Have you seen this video? Sorry I can't figure out how to embed it. It is a music video like the Pacific Ocean is a wet place. 185 people singing the same piece in front of their computers, and the sound is beautiful, but just as brilliant is the visual production which lets you see each choir member individually.

A demonstration of what web interactivity can achieve. Amazing.

The Gonzalez Contata

This may be the most unusual music video I have ever put on this blog. Composer Melissa Dunphy has written an opera based on the Alberto Gonzales 2007 Senate Judiciary Committee hearing transcript. The opera is entitled: "The Gonzales Cantata."

Power Failure

Last month I put up a link to a Procol Harum video and said what I really wanted was a live performance of "Power Failure," preferably with original drummer B.J. Wilson in action. And here it is. Sorry about the psychedlia.

Simple Sister

If you have been following this blog at all you probably think I'm a complete folkie and never listen to rock. Well, not quite. Here is a number by my favorite band from the sixties/seventies, Procol Harum. Pay attention to the late B.J. Wilson. He seems so much the perfect nerd that it's easy to miss the fact that he was one of the greatest drummers in the business.

While Youtube is loaded with videos of Procol's big soft hits like A Whiter Shade Of Pale and A Salty Dog, a lot of the hard rockers are missing. I would love to see Power Failure (with BJ on drums), Drunk Again, and Nothing But The Truth. (There is a version of Nothing on Youtube, but Sir Gary Brooker screw up the lyrics somethng fierce.)

So, What Will The Revolution Be?

Smoke Bomb Igniting
Originally uploaded by e20ci

In the last blog entry we established that the revolution will not be televised. But what, according to the web, WILL the revolution be? Glad you asked.

The revolution will be posted.
The revolution will be folksonomied.
The revolution will be photographed.
The revolution will be digitized
The revolution will be motorized.
The revolution will be accessorized.
The revolution will be mapped.
The revolution will be You-tubed.
The revolution will be wireless.
The revolution will be modernized.
The revolution will be visualized.
The revolution will be wikified.
The revolution will be socialized.
The revolution will be solarized.
The revolution will be dugg.
The revolution will be fictionalized.
The revolution will be advertised.
The revolution will be animated.
The revolution will be illuminated.
The revolution will be e-mailed.
The revolution will be cataloged.

So now you know.

I should add, I saw Gil Scott-Heron perform once, probably around 1990, right here in Bellingham. He was stunning. And boy, if he wasn't a great musician he could have just done stand up comedy.

I understand he's had trouble with drugs in the last decade. (He might say he's had trouble with police, but either way the result is bad news).

What The Revolution Will Not Be

Smashed TV
Originally uploaded by Grant Neufeld

Do you remember a wonderful song from the 1970s called “The Revolution Will Not Be Televised?” Gil Scott-Heron is a jazz musician and is sometimes called the father of Rap because of that amazing rant. You can read the lyrics here or hear it at Rhapsody.

Yesterday I saw a new book entitled The Revolution Will Not Be Microwaved: Inside America's Underground Food Movements

A great title. It reminded me that the comic strip Wondermark (which combines 19th century graphic art with 21st century humor) offers a T-shirt for sale that proclaims “The Revolution Will Not Be Telegraphed!”

That got me thinking. So I went to what New Scientist magazine refers to as a Famous Web-based Search Engine and got a comprehensive list of what the revolution will not be. These are my favorites, loosely categorized. (Yes, I know. The revolution will not be loosely categorized.)

The revolution will not be downloaded
The revolution will not be uploaded
The revolution will not be blogged
The revolution will not be webcast
The revolution will not be podcast
The revolution will not be digitized
The revolution will not be engineered
The revolution will not be shrink-wrapped
The revolution will not be recycled
The revolution will not be merchandised
The revolution will not be effectively distributed
The revolution will not be designed
The revolution will not be advertised
The revolution will not be outsourced
The revolution will not be funded
The revolution will not be sexualized
The revolution will not be feminized
The revolution will not be fertilized
The revolution will not be fraternized
The revolution will not be plagiarized
The revolution will not be curated
The revolution will not be copyrighted
The revolution will not be metered
The revolution will not be mapped
The revolution will not be satirized
The revolution will not be motorized
The revolution will not be motorcycled
The revolution will not be piloted
The revolution will not be lego-sized
The revolution will not be verified
The revolution will not be shushed

We will let Mr. Scott-Heron have the final word:

The revolution will be no re-run, brothers.
The revolution will be live.

Oompah! Oompah!

Oompah Band at WWU. Libraries Open House
Originally uploaded by wwulib

The library where i work had it's first-ever Open House last week to encourage new students to see what the inside of the building looks like, and maybe even take a tour. The theme was Oktoberfest so we had root beer, pretzels, and this charming German band. I heard students on their cell phones saying "Really! There's a polka band in the library!"

Hey, why not?