jason's blog

Listening:
1. The Morning Pages: This NYC band gets straight to the heart of the roots rock sounds. Listen to: My Name is Lion (mp3)
2. Meredith Bragg: This is the first new track from this gentle and melancholy musician and it's free. Listen to: Next Time (mp3)
3. Rainbow Arabia: This LA band is going to end up being one of the big buzz bands of 2010. They are releasing a free remix ep here next week and is currently working on their new album. Listen to: Kabukimono (Pictureplane's Negative Slave Re-work) (mp3)

So, I've decided to make the a podcast a weekly occurrence due to the positive responses I have received and how much I enjoy making them. Don't forget to add the podcast feed to your podcast reader.

Episode Two: Spring is a State of Mind
* Drew Danburry "Many Are Cold, But Few Are Frozen"
* Scott McClanahan "The Rainelle Story"
* Neon Indian "Mind, Drips (Summer Dregs Remix)"
* An Interview with Lindsay Hunter
* Ernest Gonzales "Dancing In The Snow"
* Dan Black "Symphonies"

A Weather "Everyday Ballons" (Team Love, March 2nd)

"Third of Life" It's a story about sleeping... in lack or abundance, sleeping is a disruption.

"Winded" The piano backing is fun and refreshing. We all feel winded at times, but this is a song about continuing to breathe.

"Ducks" The interplay between Aaron Gerber's smooth and rich vocals and Sarah Winchester's light and angelic vocal is mesmerizing.

"Seven Blankets" A chilling feel, but wrapped in the comfort of blankets and in turn filled warmly.

"Midday Moon" I rarely see the moon during the day, but then I am rarely outdoors during the day.

"Newfallen" This is the second album from A Weather, and so far is a beautiful spring day listen.

"No Big Hope" This song is surprisingly hopeful for a song called "No Big Hope".

"Fond" "No one can hold you down"... It the dedication to survival and the strength to achieve.

"Happiness" "It's not the weight that brings you down, it's how you carry it" This is a guide to happiness from the pov of saddness.

What I find so incredible about the paintings of Christina Shurts is the way she handles, captures, and fixates on light. In whatever structure or scene she is capturing the light, the natural coloration and playfulness of light,plays an important. In fact she seems to paint only because of light. Through this effort she captures the beauty in what my seem ordinary to most.

Christina is graduating from California State University, Long Beach with an MFA in Fine Art this Spring. Her work has been shown around the world. She is currently involved in an exhibit called Structural Through- Line (Coherence) at Lawrence Asher Gallery in LA. Recently, she was kind enough to answer a few of my questions.

Orange Alert (OA): Your work seems to focus on structure, namely man-made structures. What is it about these elevated buildings that you find so fascinating?

Casiokids are not new to independent music, but this June they will make they US debut with their album Topp stemning på lokal bar (loosely translated to "Great vibe at local bar"). Polyvinyl is now the US label for this Bergen (Norway)quintet.

Casiokids has previously released music in Europe via Moshi Moshi, both as part of the label's renowned "Singles Club" and as a series of double A-sided 7"s. Eight tracks of the band's expansive catalog have been hand selected for their debut US release with Polyvinyl, and are accompanied by a bonus disc of new material (including six remixes and two covers).

Aaron Burch How To Take Yourself Apart, How To Make Yourself Anew (Pank)

I am not sure exactly what I just read, but I know I was transfixed by each and every word. This collection reads somewhat like an instructional guide, but it is more of a guide on how to explore the levels of dementia of Aaron Burch. From the opening short on how to dissect yourself and the multiple other sections on self-mutilation to the sections about folding yourself and others like paper cranes, it is strange but orderly.

This collection is a sanitized look at torture, and a guide on how to seem rational in your insanity, and explain it others with ease. My favorite story is “You Are Here”, and it revolves around an unhealthy obsession with birthmarks. The main character pours various liquids on his skin in an attempt to match the shade and shape of a past love. He describes his skins condition vividly through out the collection, and makes it a clear and key factor throughout. I promise you won't be able to stop reading once you start.

Ron Adkins "Open House" Prismacolor, ink and graphite on paper

Listening:
1. Ninjasonik: The sun is out and it's time to have fun! Listen to: All Our Friends (mp3)
2. The Fresh & Onlys: Garage rock with heart. Listen to: Diamond In The Dark (mp3)
3. The Postelles: Are you tired of that retro-60's-surf-pop sound yet? I'm not. Listen to: White Night (mp3)

Reading:
1. Kind of Like Birds by Mairead Case
2. A Deep Ache, a Hum by Beth Thomas

Episode One: The Introduction

Welcome to the first edition of The Orange Alert Podcast. Twice a month we will present a 30 minute collection of music, literature, and art highlighting items you may or may not have seen before on Orange Alert.

Podcast One: March 5th, 2010
* In Tall Buildings "The Way to a Monster's Liar"
* Jamie Iredell reads an excerpt from "Prose. Poems. A Novel"
* Judson Claiborne "Songs for Dreaming"
* A review of two new art books from Parking Block Publishing
* Saadi "Birds"

As I sat down to my green tea and fruity pebbles this morning I sent Joshua Cohen a few questions and just before he ate his breakfast he sent me back a few answers. He has a fascinating novel coming out this May from Dalkey Archive called Witz. It's 800 pages and begins with all the Jews in the world dying in a strange, millennial plague, with the exception of the firstborn males. It is going to be big, juicy, and hopefully meet with fierce anger and opposition. Ok, you read and I'll finish my breakfast.

Orange Alert (OA): Your collection, Bridge & Tunnel (& Tunnel & Bridge), was recently released by The Cupboard. Can you tell us a little about the collection?