Playlist Week of 2013-05-25

* Venice Baroque Orchestra (Marcon/Carmignola): Concerto Italiano (Archiv Prod. CD)

* Reich: Music For 18 Musicians (ECM LP)

* Reich: Octet, Music For Large Ensemble, etc. (ECM LP)

* Sun Ra: Interstellar Low-Ways (Saturn LP)

* Sun Ra: Cosmic Tones For Mental Therapy (Saturn LP)

* Sun Ra: Continuation (Saturn/Corbett vs. Dempsey 2CD)

* Jimmy Giuffre 3: Emphasis & Flight 1961 (HatOLOGY 2CD)

* Anthony Braxton Echo Echo Mirror House: Septet (Victoriaville) 2011 (Victo CD)

* Sol 6 (Luc Ex, Veyron Weston, Ingrid Laubrock, et al.): Sol 6 (Red Note CD)

* Kris Davis: Capricorn Climber (Clean Feed CD)

* David Torn: Cloud About Mercury (ECM CD)

* David Torn: Prezens (ECM CD)

* P.M. Dawn: The Blisss Album...? (Gee Street/Island CD)

* Cypress Hill: Black Sunday (Columbia/Legacy 2LP)

* D’Angelo: Voodoo (Virgin CD)

* Frank Ocean: Channel Orange (Island/Def Jam CD)

* Miguel: Kaleidoscope Dream (RCA CD)

* Praxis: Profanation: Preparation For A Coming Darkness (M.O.D. Technologies CD)

* Grateful Dead: The Lyceum, London, England 5/24/72 (selections) (GDP/Rhino 3HDCD)

* Grateful Dead: Dick’s Picks Vol.15: Englishtown, NJ 9/3/77 (selections) (GDP 3HDCD)

* Grateful Dead: World Music Theatre, Tinley Park, IL 7/21/90 (selections) (SBD 3CDR)

* Grateful Dead: World Music Theatre, Tinley Park, IL 7/22/90 (d.1 selections) (SBD 3CDR)

* Neil Young & Crazy Horse: Psychedelic Pill (Reprise BD)

* Blue Cheer: Vincebus Eruptum (mono) (Philips/Sundazed LP)

* Deep Purple: Machine Head (Warner Bros./Rhino LP)

* Soft Machine: Live At The Proms (1970) (Reckless LP)

* Yes: Close To The Edge (Atlantic/Audio Fidelity SACD)

* Yes: Tales From Topographic Oceans (selections) (Atlantic/Rhino 2CD)

* Yes: Relayer (selections) (Atlantic/Rhino CD)

* Dust: Dust/Hard Attack (Kama Sutra/RCA/Legacy 2LP)

* Metallica: Master Of Puppets (Elektra LP)

* Circus Devils: Ataxia (Happy Jack Rock Records LP)

* Circus Devils: Gringo (Happy Jack Rock Records LP)

* Circus Devils: Mother Skinny (Happy Jack Rock Records LP)

* Wilco: Wilco (The Album) (Nonesuch LP)

* Opeth: Orchid (Candlelight CD)

* Opeth: Morningrise (Candlelight CD)

* Opeth: My Arms, Your Hearse (Candlelight CD)

* Opeth: Still Life (Peaceville CD/DVD)

* Opeth: Blackwater Park (Music For Nations/Sony CD/DVD)

* OM: Advaitic Dubplate: “Gethsemane” (Thrill Jockey 12”)

* Hands Off Cuba: From Arrival To Survival (Sebastian Speaks LP)

* Hands Off Cuba: Volumes Of Sobering Liquids (Sebastian Speaks EP)

†=iPod

‡=car

Commentary:

The photo will be the cover of my forthcoming black metal album, The Flowers of Evil. 

Ha ha.  Just kidding.

Actually, I was just playing around with Hipstamatic on my iPhone. And while I find this all great fun, two slightly disturbing thoughts come to mind: 

Firstly, it is fascinating to see that in our digitized and increasingly ephemeral world, people are using their smart phones to mimic the most crude analog cameras. Is this just free-floating nostalgia or something deeper? Now that the best DSLRs out-resolve the finest film stocks, Hipstamatic allows radical transformations that would require hours of Photoshopping to achieve. To be sure the  results can be visually stunning but it's a little bit like overdubbing the crackle of an LP onto a pristine digital sound recording.

And that leads to another thought: Photo apps like this instantaneously transform the humblest image into something "arty" -- not necessarily "Art," but "arty." While I quite like the image above, I know that much of what I like about it was purely result of software, operating in mysterious ways and with very little opportunities for me to control it. As a result, I am suspicious of its ultimate worth as a "work of art," despite my fondness for the picture. Where was the "work?"

Then again, these things are just tools. Artists have adapted to changing technologies since the beginning of civilization (and, to be sure, I do not pretend to be fine artist). Great photographers make great images with whatever they have at hand and the iPhone is no different. But the ease with which anyone can make something "arty" seems to demean actual "Art." 

Or does it?

What do you think? 

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SHAMELESS PLUG DEPT.

I actually do have a CD out, Rodger Coleman & Sam Byrd: Indeterminate (Improvisations for Piano and Drums). While not metal, it kicks serious ass. You can stream it at NuvoidJazz.com or get the deluxe CD by clicking below. It’s also available for download at  iTunes and everywhere else if that’s your thing. Thank you for your interest and support!