Matthew Friedberger - "Courteous and Orderly" (removed at label request)
A house with thirty staircases. Stairs to the cupboard, to the kitchen table, to the toilet, to the window. Out the window, stairs in the backyard, to the pool, to the tree, to the rainbow ferris wheel, out of service. A winding staircase in the middle of the yard, up up up. Past the treetop, past the top of the rainbow ferris wheel, out of service, to a platform high in the air. On the platform are two chairs and a table, very small, almost crouch-y. Precarious. Up on the platform, on the table, piping hot tea. Tea cups. Saucers. Biscuits, land! Sit up there, with an incantation, a small prayer to "My juggie, my puggie" and hold the tea ceremony. Feel the wind, see the land, sway in the air, enjoy the tea, enjoy the biscuit. Relax, if you do that. Steep, if you can. Sing, as you do.
Napoleonette is a fascinating album, with many great moments (like oh, the hell of it, and underneath the mountain in Monterey), well worth getting.
[Pre-order subscriptions for Solos, an eventual EIGHT-ALBUM SET from Thrill Jockey that will take all of 2011 to release. Oh my, yes.] [image source]
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NEW, EXCITING SITES
An interactive documentary about the institution of the concrete high-rise apartment. From all over the world, real people have let the NFB glimpse inside their lives, and discuss their apartments, their buildings, and how they relate to the world outside their window. It's a brilliant, and very touching project. Go, with half an hour to spare, and check out (at the very least) some of my favourite stories. In Johannesburg, check out the story of bandit landlords in 'Hijacked Buildings', go to Sao Paolo and watch 'Everybody's Baby', it's a story of a phenomenal, instinctive kind of love. In Beirut, see 'Balcony Bombing Music', and in Toronto, check out 'Yak', the story of Tibetan exiles living in Canada.
*Directed by Kat Cizek with music supervision by Helen Spitzer*
Friends of mine have spent a year putting together a wonderful website dedicated to young women experiencing their first period. It's currently in development, so right now it's only Camp Cranky, the whole Town is yet to come, but what they have so far is pretty astounding. True, funny, lovely stories from women in Canada and around the world. Go look, see some great videos, hear some neat poems (by people like Feist and Emma Thompson!), and maybe share the page with someone who might really need it.
*Created by Jenna Wright, Vanessa Matsui, and Liane Balaban*
Puppets by Jenna Wright, photographed by Ian MacMillan
and it will begin playing. All songs are also available to download: just right-click the link and choose 'Save as...'
