Necro Blog

Monday, March 12, 2007

Genesis reunites (...sort of)


Well prog-rock fans, it has finally been confirmed. Genesis (Phil Collins, Tony Banks, Mike Rutherford, Chester Thompson and Daryl Stuermer) will be reuniting for the Turn It On Again tour in 2007. However, original vocalist Peter Gabriel and guitarist Steve Hackett of the "classic" line up will not be performing with the rest of the group. So it will be the 1980's "pop" Genesis that will be hitting the road instead. Though the group has pledged to play many of the older Gabriel-era tunes, the news still disappoints hardcore fans (like me). Hopefully Gabriel and Hackett will join in for an encore or two during the tour (and possible forthcoming DVD)!

http://www.genesis-music.com

Hammer Sickle Stuff

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Well, I'm not a communist but I'll be the first to admit that they have a snazzy logo. Hammer Sickle Stuff uses the good ol' Soviet icon on anything from tee shirts and undies to jacket pins. I found this site while I was first beginning work on my Soviet propoganda series of paintings. The "reds" are so pop art now, that it's just plain silly!
http://www.hammersicklestuff.com

Saturday, March 10, 2007

The Wisdom of Lemmy

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Joanna Angel and Lemmy Kilmister from Motorhead

LEMMY: "I don't want to dis America, because I like it enough to come and live here. I'm not anti-American, believe me. I've been living in Los Angeles for 10 years now. Still, blind allegiance to any country is unhealthy. 'My country, right or wrong' is exactly what Hitler said. I mean, what kind of war cry is that? 'My country right or wrong'? If my country's wrong, it should be changed back into being right. That's fucking fascist if ever I heard it."
http://www.imotorhead.com/

Joanna Angel can be found rockin' and rollin' at:
http://www.burningangel.com/

Dead Parrot



The Dead Parrot sketch, alternatively and originally known as the Pet Shop sketch or Parrot Sketch, is a popular sketch from Monty Python's Flying Circus, one of the most famous in the history of television comedy. It portrays a conflict between disgruntled customer Mr. Eric Praline (played by John Cleese), and a shopkeeper (Michael Palin), who hold contradictory positions on the vital state of a "Norwegian Blue" parrot (an apparent absurdity in itself since parrots are popularly presumed to be tropical and not indigenous to Scandinavia). The skit pokes fun at the many euphemisms for death used in English culture. The sketch aired in the eighth episode of the television series. Over the years, Cleese and Palin have done many versions of the "Dead Parrot" sketch for various television shows, records albums, and live performances.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monty_Python

Sunday, August 20, 2006

The Standard


For those who enjoy listening to Radiohead, it's time to give The Standard a try. Forget about Muse and all those other Radiohead sound-alikes. The Standard is the real deal. Their latest album Albatross is very good and contains some nods to prog rock. So don't let this one be another "albatross" around your neck, check out The Standard.
http://www.thestandardsite.com/

Tuesday, August 15, 2006

Down With iTunes


If you're a cheapstake like me and think a dollar is too much to pay for an MP3 on iTunes, then check out: http://www.gomusic.ru/

It's a Russian website and all songs are around 15 cents each to download. The selection is also far better than iTunes in my opinion. It's all legal according to Russian laws, but determining where you stand on artist royalities is up to you. I think this is easier to use than the peer-to-peer flie sharing services like Limewire and Kazaa. The song quality on GoMusic.ru is fantastic and most everything can be downloaded at 192kbs or higher.

M.F.A. Standards


Since graduating from Cal State Fullerton with my B.F.A. I've become very interested in knowning what exactly an M.F.A. degree is all about. I found these guidelines set by College Art Association about M.F.A. degrees. Check out the link: http://www.collegeart.org/guidelines/mfa.html

DEFINITION AND PURPOSE

The M.F.A., unlike most master's degrees, is used as a guarantee of a high level of professional competence in the visual arts. It is also accepted as an indication that the recipient has reached the end of the formal aspects of his/her education in the making of art, that is to say, it is the terminal degree in visual arts education and thus equivalent to terminal degrees in other fields, such as the Ph.D. or Ed.D.

First and foremost, the profession demands from the recipient of the M.F.A. a certifiable level of technical proficiency and the ability to make art. However, having earned the degree does not necessarily guarantee an ability to teach this proficiency to others. When work toward the M.F.A. has been concentrated in a particular medium, there should be complete professional mastery of that medium. The generalist, whose preparation has been broader and less specialized, must still meet the critical demands of the profession by convincingly demonstrating expertise and knowledge in a number of areas. The need for thorough training of the mind, the eye, and the hand is self-evident. The remainder of this document outlines specific standards and requirements for the M.F.A. that are approved and endorsed by the CAA Board of Directors.

CREDIT REQUIREMENTS

The minimum requirement for the M.F.A. is 60 semester credits of course work at the graduate level (or 90 quarter credits), including courses in art history and cognate areas of study. These required credits may not include course work that is required as make-up for undergraduate deficiencies.

Undergraduate degrees (B.A., B.F.A., B.S., B.Ed.) differ in disciplinary credit distribution and educational emphasis. In order to compensate for these differences in the studies (both undergraduate and graduate) leading ultimately to the M.F.A. degree, the following combined (undergraduate plus graduate) semester credit totals are recommended: art studio, 100; history of art, 24. However, new genres/disciplines in the visual arts at the graduate level may require or take into consideration undergraduate study outside traditional art studio areas (video and computer-based art, for example). Thus the total semester credit hours recommended for the undergraduate/graduate program leading to the M.F.A. in studio art may have to be adjusted to include appropriate course work relevant to new genres of studio practice. The above recommendations are not absolute minimum requirements, but provide reasonable guidelines for faculties concerned with maintaining the standards of the profession.

R.I.P. Chris Whitley


In November 2005, singer/guitarist Chris Whitley passed away of lung cancer. Chris was a great muscian and inspirational songwriter - he will be sorely missed. I saw him play live whenever he came to the Los Angeles areaand have been listening his albums since 1991. His music meant a great deal to me...rest in peace.

Check out this Wikipedia page. It contains some interesting information and many great links about CW, including his official website.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chris_Whitley