THANK goodness this year is almost over. I just can't anymore! I've run out of patience for everything this week! It's like my brain has decided it's already December 31 and the year is over. Of course I have lists and lists of things that I'm happy about that have happened in this last year, and I'm also looking forward to the next few weeks and the year ahead. But, let's face it. This year was, for the most part, a giant turkey. The world's not in a great place. It may seem to you like there's little to be thankful, but actually, I've got a heap of them. 2015 may have been a shit, but it wasn't all bad! I'm not going to bore you with a top ten list of the best things that have happened, though. I'm going to remind you of the things that didn't happen as they did in 2014. I mean, as a race, we are moving backwards, but culturally at least, we made some tiny progress. Small mercies, people. Small mercies. Here are the first five things that we should be thankful for not having recurred in 2015. 1. GLOBAL WARMING MADE THE ICE BUCKET CHALLENGE DISAPPEAR
Oh and thank God for that one. If I had to see one more idiot getting their thrills on ice I would've had a stroke. Seriously, I'm all for a good cause, but it seemed like 2014 was full of lost causes who just wanted to be the centre of their own attention. Thankfully we are approaching frightfully high temperatures around the globe, and ice has finally become a commodity that we can't afford to waste in these useless, self-centred kind of ways. 2. SELFIES GOT A BIT OF A STICK UP THEIR A** I love to invent a new word every now and then, but I hate selfies. And I hate selfie sticks even more. But you know what I hate even more than that? Celebrity selfies and the media crapping on about how selfies was the word of the year in 2014. Well thank god that ain't the case anymore. I don't think I can handle yet another douche-bag with a camera. 3. THE KANYE WEST AND KIM KARDASHIAN SIDESHOW SOLD LESS EVERYTHING Speaking of douche bags. 2015 looked like it was a step up because we didn't have to put up with a Florentine wedding, a Vogue cover story, a baby, a beef with Taylor Swift (but we got one with Beck), or Kim Kardashian's ass, like, everywhere. But, not sure if this one counts or not because instead we've not only had to put up with Kylie and the other Jenner , but also Caitlyn. And they all still have something to sell that nobody is that interested in. 4. YOUR ITUNES ACCOUNT WASN'T DIGITALLY RAPED BY AN UNWANTED U2 ALBUM Speaking of selling something no-one was interested, U2 couldn't even give away their Songs of Innocence album and get people interested. They couldn't even force feed that stuff without making everyone chuck or *delete* it. Nobody tried that automatic download shit again. Not even Adele. We progressed as a race. 5. PEOPLE STOPPED WHISTLING HAPPY OK, I don't know where you are, but where I am, they still play that shit on the radio. It's inescapable. But at least people have stopped whistling and singing that shit all the time. And although we had to endure that hat, at least we didn't have to endure Robin Thicke this year. I blame Pharrell for that brief hot minute where RT was everywhere. So did the courts. I've got my next five ready and waiting... but you? What are your thoughts?
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Is it just me or are BRIT acts slowly regaining their supremacy over pop culture again?
It's been a while since we've seen "Britpop" reign, but we've never seen it be, so, well, bipolar. I'm planning on seeing some great Brits over the New Year - Foals, The 1975 and the newly reformed Bloc Party, but in the meantime, I'm keeping my eye on some of the unusual suspects. There's something of the unexpected in the ascendency of Ed Sheeran and Adele in recent years. I think it's something that is quite unique to British culture that old school acts are as celebrated as those on the cutting edge. Two Brit gals have got both spectrums covered right now... I've made no bones about how much I love M.I.A over the years. I think she is the only artist with a mainstream profile that is really invested in what's making the world tick these days. As a result, she always seems one step ahead of the game. She pulled it off with MAYA with what many dismissed about the big brother nature of the Internet and took it even further with the Vickileekx Mixtape. And her recent/current Borders project has consistently been bold and prophetic. While we wait for the accompanying album Matahdatah (are you seeing the connection?) The Atlantic looks into the genius of her new Borders video. Adele defiantly proves that 25 year olds still know what CDs are. The fact that 25 has shattered records around the world and is not available on streaming services makes me think record companies are going to rethink their launch approach in the new year. But don't worry about the fracas about ticket buyers having their details revealed: the world is not ready for an Adele backlash just yet. Briefly on NME here. IN my new novel, Vinyl Tiger, I explore the world of Alekzandr. He starts out as a bit of a musically challenged 80s disco act who needs to rely on his looks and his charm to get ahead. His short term goal is to overcome the stigma of being a disco act or a one hit wonder. But his long term goal is that of being taken seriously as a pop act and making music that is true to his artistry. It's an arc that a lot of acts have to go through. Especially if their roots are firmly lodged in dance or pop music. Some of you might be familiar with Tina Arena. For those that aren't, she's a Melbourne gal who got her first break as a child via Young Talent Time. She's the show's most successful alumni, even if Dannii Minogue also graduated from the weekly variety show. Tina has a pristine, powerful voice. She's capable of bending more than the odd note, and in the mid nineties she worked hard to overcome the stigma of having been both a child star, and a pop act whose biggest (and only real) hit to date had been I Need Your Body. (Search it out on Youtube). After being dropped by her label, in the late nineties she moved into adult oriented pop-rock. And in Australia at least, it was a move that proved crucial in her becoming the most formidable female artist on the scene, thanks to songs like Chains and Sorrento Moon - and their ENDLESS airplay on Australian radio. Her album, Don't Ask moved close to a million copies there alone before it became a hit in a lot of other territories. Back then I was working in the record bar of a department store. Because we were in the city centre we were a bit of a target for the visiting record company reps. I remember one of the old Sony music reps coming in one day when Tina's follow up album In Deep came out and being a little blase about it not doing as well as hoped. In Deep was another smash hit, but was on track to sell about a third of what Don't Ask managed to. Speaking with the rep I had to read between the lines a little. While it was clear In Deep wasn't going to be another million seller, Tina was on her way internationally: rerecording her songs in Italian, Spanish and French. That meant she'd proved her worth to the label. But more importantly for Tina herself, she'd unshackled herself from the chains of the idea that Don't Ask had been a fluke, or that Tina no longer needed to be taken seriously. Tina's subsequent albums never sold anywhere near what those two albums did, but they've kept up her profile over the years, and routinely sell well in Australia. She's onto her eleventh album - Eleven - and although it went straight into the Aussie charts at No.2, she's not the radio staple she once was. In fact, she's seen by some as being something of a legacy act. Why? She's released a couple of cover records (which did pretty well), but for the most part, she has focused on releasing new material. Her previous album, Reset was being touted as a bit of a Ray of Light moment, and although it went platinum, I think the majority of the public wouldn't be able to recognise any of the songs on it. The voice, yes. The songs, no. Why? Well, there's much to be said about the music industry's ageism. While they have no problem championing a 25 by someone as young as Adele, getting behind a project by a woman in her 40s is a tough proposition. We saw the debate about older actresses play out in recent years, but, because pop music is usually a no go area for almost anyone over 40, the theory hasn't been pushed and provoked enough. Last night Arena was inducted into the ARIA (Australian Recording Industry Association) Hall of Fame - and inducted by another 40 something Aussie - Kylie - but it's likely that you haven't heard anything that Kylie has done in years either. Yep. Tick tock, tick tock. Radio is not a place for women in pop after a certain age. WHY? In my novel Vinyl Tiger I play with this idea. I take a look at what it would be like for Alekzandr - who's gay, so therefore his treatment in the industry is in a category on par with that of women - to age in the face of the music industry and in the pop world. It's a bit of a pisstake of the hipocrisy that exists, but the problem is it is very real. But last night, Tina ripped the Australian industry a new asshole. In a fifteen minute speech which earned her a standing ovation, she called out their ageism and noted that Australian radio, despite its local music quotas, still won't get behind her or her ilk. Nor will it get behind other international acts like Madonna, Annie Lennox or, erm, J.Lo, who she name checked - and who are upwards of 40. Sad fact is that, as she noted, it should be the ladies themselves who should decide when the gig is up not fat, balding radio programmers. Tina may have firmly come out on the other side of the pop arc, but, girl's got a whole other battle to fight. Congrats on being inducted. And let's all just get over ourselves regarding age. We need to respect 'older' acts: male or female. Because the best music is timeless. Who doesn't love Adele? She's the kind of lass you'd want to share a pint with and basically hang out with. She has an amazing set of pipes and could sing the phone book. And, there's the bonus that she's likely a bit autistic about numbers. Don't believe me? 19? 21? 25!!! Bingo! Speaking of numbers, Adele has, in the space of three days, sold so many copies of 25 that she has the week's best seller, 2015's biggest selling album - over 2.4 million in the US alone - and, the biggest opening week sales in history. And it's like not even hump day yet. Will be interesting to see how far 25 goes sales wise- but it's good news for some parts of the music industry. They've got their Christmas best seller locked and loaded. It's not that I'm sorry. I'm not. But its coming up to six years that I've been writing this blog, and as a result, there's room to revise some ideas from time to time. Not for example on selfie sticks, or on anything Vatican-y (except Ratzinger and Padre Georg: I loved them: such a cute couple!). But a while back I posted about how Taschen and Gisele Bundchen had teamed up for a Gisele coffee table book. A very expensive, don't head over to the bookshop if you're having trouble with the rent or your mortgage payment kind of book. I mean, I didn't say it was going to be a flop or anything, but I guess I was questioning the whole Why? of it all as Tim Gunn would say. Well, we needn't worry for GB. Girl's gonna have no problems paying her rent and in selling out her ludicrously overpriced book she has proven that there are a lot of people with some warped priorities. Like your coffee table book could feed a village kind of shit, but what would I know? But really, was there really any doubt its run was going to sell out? Supermodels are recession proof! Someone needs to bottle their essences and study that stuff at the Harvard Business School to better prepare us for when there are no arms sellers left in the world to keep the economy spinning. (I know that sounds a little Silence of the Lambs but I don't mean it in that way). Anyway, while I'm at it... Almost six years ago I moved to Rome. And I was immediately struck by how street art was still in its infant stages even though graffiti per se has existed in Rome since, well, Roman times. Back then when I posted about the burgeoning scene I thought it was going to take a while for Rome to get to a point where its edginess as a city was matched by what you see on its walls. Well, lo and behold. I sit corrected. When the Huffington Post calls you out for being the emerging European capital of street art, you can start to believe it. It's not really mentioned in the article, but there are a few reasons why certain parts of Rome are becoming open air galleries. On the one hand, galleries like the Wunderkammern in Tor Pignatara and the colletive Laszlo Biro - (hi boys) - have had a huge hand in this. They paved the way for much of East Rome's street art/urban renewal by encouraging large scale projects in conjunction with residents and the local municipal offices. Or by simply producing great, very graphic friendly work (as in the case of the LB crew). In addition, a lot of Roman suburbs are the subject of wear and tear. Asking a tenants committee if an artist can have an external wall in exchange for its repair and adornment is a no brainer in cash strapped Rome. Keep an eye out though for other emerging hot spots in Italy. Palermo and Genova are the cities to watch for if you ask me. They've got some great up and coming scenes and artists that rival what's happening in Rome and Milan. In the meantime, you can find Laszlo Biro here and the Wunderkammern here. I spent the weekend in Rome catching up with some of my nearest and dearest. And while I did that I had the chance to meet some friends of friends. They're currently working on a really cool project at Rome's biggest exhibition space, Palazzo Delle esposizione, which is on Via Nazionale. In recent years the multifunction site has become one of Rome's most important and has hosted some major blockbusters (some of which I was tasked to write reviews for). But the site is also home to a little known cinema which runs some of the most amazing retrospectives and mini film fests- often for free or for a pittance. Anyway, FOF (that's a new acronym I've decided I'm going to use; Friend of friend) was telling me about his rather ingenious project that he's currently involved in there. Way back in time, and I'm talking silent movie time, people, les vampires had tongues wagging. It was a kind of silent series with a crime bent that just had cinema goers going nuts. Musician by day and crim by night teams up with a reporter as they take on the dark, noirish (I think I just invented that word too) Parisian nights and the inbuilt criminal element. It's the kind of stuff that inspired a million copy cats and that continues to do so. Well, the PDE is currently running a brilliant series of events based around Les Vampires- using ten of the original episodes but partnering them with musical and visual interpretations. A series of musicians and groups have been invited to play alongside the footage and basically add their own interpretation to the old classics. What I love about the project is how it seems to be built around adding an appreciation to three different mediums, and bridging time as well as the visuals and sonics together. I think it's a really inspired idea which of course has been done with other things but, adding such an element to the silent films is effectively bringing them back to life in the face of a million other reincarnations and references. Sounds pretty brill if you ask me- and runs until November 15, so if you're in Rome over the next week or so, visit the PDE site which has a full run down of events in English in addition to the other things on at the complex. When I was at uni, I wrote a thesis on Japanese woodblock prints. You know, the kind that artists like Hokusai and Utamaro perfected and that gaijin like me just loved to bits while the Japanese just scratched their heads and wondered what all the Western fuss was about. Ukiyo-e which is the umbrella term for the woodblock genre is also a play on the Buddhist word which means the floating world. To simplify things for those not in the know, the floating world was kind of like an allegory for everything that is ephemeral and that often brings pleasure. It was from that Buddhist idea that the old pleasure quarters were often referred to as ukiyo - the floating world - because in places like Tokyo and Kyoto, where rigid social etiquette was already in place, the pleasure quarters were seen as a world of their own. These were places where courtesans, geisha and even kabuki actors were top of the pops. Places where everything had a price and where desires had no limits. Ukiyo-e (the prints) depicted all kinds of things. They were of artistic and graphic quality, but in a way they had a role in old Japan not unlike that of magazines and the print media today. They were seen as flotsam and although they are now collected and cherished, back then they were often like posters that you'd slap up on your walls to hide scuff masks. The first illustrated travel guides were ukiyo-e which spelled out the routes on the old Tokkaido highway with seasonal scenes designed in accompaniment. There are some amazing images of old Japan from those kinds of series, but the prints, which will large volume prints, also covered scenes of comedy, theatre and life in the pleasure quarters. I think one of the things that attracted me to writing a thesis about the woodblock prints was that they often had humourous undertones to them. They often played on words (through their images) and they often left a pretty beautiful insight into Japanese thinking (especially during the Edo period). One of the other amazing things about ukiyo-e is that there seemed an endless scope of subject matter on offer. Much like magazines today. One of the most popular sub categories of the prints was shunga. The term represents the erotic side of our nature, and so shunga prints were all the rage for the way in which they explored desire and sexuality, often without boundaries. What you often get with shunga are scenes where genitalia are grossly exaggerated and where the figures are often indistinguishable across the prints. My interpretation of that was so that they could be used to kind of project your own identity onto the prints as you looked at them. I remember reading the definitive publication on shunga written by Timothy Screech and thinking, wow, this guy is brave and the Japanese, even from the 16th century were already peerless and ahead of us all. Well you know how I feel about Japan and how it really is the invincible, superior nation on earth. Except, I'm not so sure right now. You see, I stumbled across an article in which a modern day shunga volume has been published. And what it spells out- i.e that we have regressed to the point where we no longer have the maturity or humour to deal with something that is so innate to our being. Why? Because despite our advancements as people in some areas, we now live in a world where the idea of shunga needs to be censored by clown like emojis, basically stripping them of their value and importance, and robbing us of the opportunity to acknowledge and explore all of the facets of our personality without resorting to childlike, prudish self censoring. More at the Guardian on the truly offensive item like the one below. Really. There's no point in commenting on the phenomenon that is Adele. And that song Hello. Adele is review and market proof. Hell she IS the music market. She's gonna single handedly rewrite the book on 2015 in the marketplace. And take about two weeks to do it. Hello wasn't even released and there were already memes out there for it. The 30 second snippet set the web on its ear and, like, totally changed the world. Within 24 hours I saw unknowns posting to youtube with their accapella versions of the song. So, 2015's music event has finally been unveiled. Derr, it's Adele's comeback single. And is it just me or does it seem like this album feels like it should be called 28 cos 25 doesn't seem to do justice to the gap between albums. Really, once could go on for hours on all this and take it in a million directions but Michael K at dlisted just does it so well that there's no point. There's even funnier stuff on that post. But I'm such a gentleman that I'm only posting the one screen shot. Kudos to Adele and Michael K especially. He managed to make me feel more nostalgic than ever. But not for Adele. For my old Nokia. I mean, I've missed snake forever, now I'm just thoroughly depressed that my iPhone is not a flip phone. They were great. Especially when you just wanted the satisfaction of ending your phone call with a good slam. Publications like Rolling Stone, NME, Slant, Spin and Sputnik are experts in music. When I find free time I love scanning through the endless "Greatest (Pop) Albums" lists that they produce to see if I agree or to see if I've missed something along the way. As you might know, much of my time has recently been devoted to writing my debut novel. "Vinyl Tiger" is as much about the story of Alekzandr as it is a tribute to pop music, pop culture and to the collaborative spirit that often makes art so powerful. At a certain point, I started to organise the story into chapters that captured the events and spirit of Alekzandr's life as it changed in and around each of the albums he was making. Soon, the idea of writing the book became one of imagining it as the kind of pop album I love listening to. For me a good pop album is full of different things. It can be pulpy or lightweight and still have meaning. A great pop album has moments of fun, its ups and downs, and tracks or moments that pack an emotional punch long after you've finished listening to them. So that became my working goal as I wrote "Vinyl Tiger" and once it was sent off for editing. To make a "great pop album" that is more than just one thing. And because I can't sing to save myself I had to rely on my words to try and achieve those things instead. You can get more information about Vinyl Tiger on the Facebook page or download the first chapter of the novel here. (Just be warned, it's been written for adults, so it's a bit racy people!) Vinyl Tiger will be released on Nov. 16 via Amazon/Kindle. Other formats and platforms to follow. It's available for pre-order here. Ok I know I am breaking the nerd code but somebody has to do it. Somebody had to refuse point blank to write about Marty McFly and the fact that the future was set in, what, October 2015? What a shitty and predictable future it turned out to be. It was a great film but let's get our bearings for a moment. At the time I also thought Short circuit, Splash and Desperately Seeking Susan were also brilliant. Actually I still stand by the latter two. In my mind I'm still a bit emotional about them- like I'm walking around battery park on my legs and wearing a jacket with a pyramid/eye on the back of it one moment, saying 'good going stranger' and then, whoops, I fall into the water and sprout a merman's tail the next. It's a disaster! Never has a glass of water been so menacing. Anyhoo, I'm really happy that the world's newspapers have devoted so much space and effort to commemorating the back to the future moment. (not) Personally anything that makes me think of Huey Lewis and the News does not make me want to celebrate, but that's just me. I say if we're gonna celebrate the future, then 2046 seems like a much more logical year to experiment (even if, and don't hate me people, I didn't love the film). I'm not a film critic, but I love Gong Li (yes yes it's always been all about Maggie), I love Wong Kar Wai and most of all I love an alternative (especially when back to the future is being forced back down my throat every time I open anything on the web). What's next? Will they pull out the old time capsules they had us bury in the school yard so we can see how primitive we were as ten year olds? Today's ten year olds would eat my former ten year old self alive. But, if you think about it aside from a general nastiness that has sunk in, and way more electronics, nothing much has really changed all that much since 1985. It's 2015 and we're still talking about a pope, Donald Trump, eighties fashion and trying to work out how long it's going to be until we can finally write Madonna off. Russia and the Middle East are still key players in geopolitics, ray bans are still in fashion and the world's best footballers are still Latinos. I mean, we're still in 1985 my lovelies. It's like a Groundhog Day only we don't have to listen to Huey Lewis anymore (nothing personal but I just have nightmare memories of hearing his music on a loop- on a five of six hour bus ride: cured for life). I don't get why we think the future we imagined thirty years ago means anything to anyone today. Wait another thirty one years and then come back to me. |
Dave
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Dave Di Vito is a writer, teacher and former curator.He's also the author of the Vinyl Tiger series and Replace The Sky.
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