The Beat

Wikipedia - "The Beat (known in North America as The English Beat) are a 2 Tone ska revival band founded in England in 1978. Their songs fuse ska, pop, soul, reggae and punk rock, and their lyrics deal with themes of love, unity and sociopolitical topics."
Wikipedia, YouTube - Mirror in the Bathroom, Doors of Your Heart, Tears Of A Clown, Save It For Later, All Out To Get You, Big Shot, Save It For Later, Too Nice To Talk To

Saint Mark's Place

Wikipedia - "Saint Mark's Place is a street in the East Village neighborhood of the New York City borough of Manhattan. It is named after St. Mark's Church in-the-Bowery on 10th Street at Second Avenue. St. Mark's Place, which is a section of 8th Street, runs from Third Avenue to Avenue A."
Wikipedia, Google, YouTube - Saint Mark's Place East Village

Simon Reynolds

Retromania
Wikipedia - "Simon Reynolds (born June 19, 1963 in London, England; raised in Hertfordshire) is an English music critic who is well-known for his writings on electronic dance music and for coining the term 'post-rock'. Besides electronic dance music, Reynolds has written about a wide range of artists and musical genres, and has written books on post-punk and rock."
Wikipedia, blissout, Guardian, Pitchfork: Retromania, Rip It Up and Start Again, Is Pop Culture Consuming Itself? Simon Reynolds Discusses Retromania, FACT: Five minutes with… Simon Reynolds, YouTube - Simon Reynolds discusses Rip It Up and Start Again

What's Going On - Marvin Gaye

Wikipedia - "The first Marvin Gaye album credited as produced solely by the artist himself, What's Going On is a unified concept album consisting of nine songs, most of which lead into the next. It has also been categorized as a song cycle, since the album ends on a reprise to the album's opening theme. The album is told from the point of view of a Vietnam War veteran returning to the country he had been fighting for, and seeing nothing but injustice, suffering and hatred."
Wikipedia, YouTube - What's Going On / What's Happening Brother, Mercy Mercy Me / What´s Going On, Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler)

Mance Lipscomb

Wikipedia - "Mance Lipscomb (April 9, 1895 – January 30, 1976) was an influential blues singer, guitarist and songster. Born Beau De Glen Lipscomb near Navasota, Texas, he as a youth took the name of 'Mance' from a friend of his oldest brother Charlie ('Mance' being short for emancipation)."
Wikipedia, Mance Lipscomb, Pictures of Mance Lipscomb and Michael Birnbaum, YouTube- Jack of Spades, See See Rider, Baby Please Don't Go, Alcohol Blues, Take Me Back / Goin' Down Slow, pt 1, pt 2

ANTIVJ

"ANTIVJ is a visual label initiated by a group of European artists whose work is focused on the use of projected light and its influence on our perception. Clearly stepping away from standard setups & techniques, AntiVJ presents live performances and installations, providing to the audience a senses challenging experience."
ANTIVJ (Video), Synthesthetic Illusions (Video)

RiseUp

"We'd like to give a huge shout out to Reggae Magazine for hosting the recent 48-hour film screening of RiseUp exclusively for its online audience. The film was made available to readers for 48 hours only, and hundreds of people logged on to watch. They were also given the chance to see the companion short film about the incredible Jamaican music artist Brushy, the 'King of One String,' and got the opportunity to purchase both films before they are available to the public."
RiseUp, RiseUp - Movie (Video), IN THE SPOTLIGHT

Prefab77

"Prefab77 is a collective of artists based in the North East of England. From an area steeped in a volatile history of unions, struggles and movements we create fast, hard-edged, stripped down artwork; often political, sometimes anti-establishment, always beautiful. We weave small pieces of modern popular culture, vintage NME headlines, pure British rock ‘n’ rebellion into traditional iconic British imagery. Our work has never felt so relevant as it does now, media coverage of student riots, Hung parliments and rising taxes have brought our themes and subject matter to life. As you can see in our PROJECTS page, we’ve worked on various collaborative projects and are always keen to reach new audiences and find new applications for our art."
Prefab77, Art Asyum Boston, Google, flickr, vimeo: Prefab77 'Soul on Fire'

Beirut Outtakes (2007) - Peggy Ahwesh

"Composed entirely of film scraps salvaged from a closed Beirut cinema, Beirut Outtakes is a collage of sensational visions. Ed Halter writes in the Village Voice: 'Outtakes appears to be a ready-made, albeit one tailor-made for Ahwesh's career obsessions, pre-filled with her signature elements: gleeful disruptions of high and low, affection for decayed textures, a peeping eye for lurid sexuality, and a fascination with unlikely images of the Middle East. Just one sequence of a go-go-booted belly dancer wriggling in an Arabic-language cinema advertisement for home air conditioners alone has the power to shatter more stereotypes than 500 pages of Edward Said.'"
UbuWeb, The Ubuweb Experimental Video Project - Colin Marshall

The 12 coolest libraries in the world

Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Yale University
"5. The library is located at the centre of Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut. The public exhibition hall surrounding the glass stack tower displays contains, among other things, one of the 48 extant copies of the Gutenberg Bible."
Vancouver Sun

Paul Resika

Colored Boats
"Paul Resika first came to Provincetown in 1947, at 19, to study with Hans Hofmann. Now 71, Resika himself has become the master of color and gesture, balancing freedom of gesture within tightly organized composition, with an eye as true as a sailor's compass to the relationships and contrasts between colors, shapes, and textures. "
Berta Walker Gallery, Berta Walker Gallery - 1, artnet, NYT: A FRESH LOOK AT A QUARTER-CENTURY OF PAUL RESIKA.
vimeo: LORI BOOKSTEIN FINE ART (Video)

Janis Joplin - Dick Cavett Show, 1969

"Janis Joplin performs "Try (just a little bit harder)" Live!! The Dick Cavett Show, July 18, 1969"
YouTube - Try (just a little bit harder), 1969, To Love Somebody, 1969, Get It While You Can, 1970, My Baby, 1970, Move Over, 1970, Half Moon, 1970, Interview (1969)

[The User]

Quartet for dot matrix printer, 2004
"[The User] is a contemporary art collective comprised of architect and installation artist Thomas McIntosh, and composer and sound artist Emmanuel Madan. The duo’s collaborative projects re-imagine relationships between technological systems, culture and human experience in striking ways." (Mike B.)
/u, /u - Works, vimeo: Quartet for dot matrix printer, 2004, vimeo: The Symphony for dot matrix printers - Pittsburgh 2001, vimeo: The Symphony #1 for dot matrix printers - 1998, vimeo: Silophone @ The Kitchen (NYC) 2001, vimeo: Coincidence Engine One - Universal People's Republic Time

The Berlin Walls - Charles le Brigand

"In 2005, Berlin was designated 'City of Design' by the Unesco. I looked-up on-line as I was curious to see which criterion and characteristics were taken under consideration by the specialized agency to appoint the distinction. According to them, it is a blend of cultural landscape fueled by design (architecture, urban planning, monuments, public spaces, signage and information systems, typography) as well as design schools, design-driven creative industries and experience in hosting international events. Needless to say that uninhibited graffiti, vibrant street art and vandalism were not part of the list."
Charles le Brigand

Brian Eno - China My China - 1974

"Video from the 1974 album, Taking Tiger Mountain by Strategy, By Brian Eno. Island Records"
YouTube: China My China - 1974, St. Elmos Fire - 1975, Kurt's Rejoinder - 1977, No One Receiving - 1977, Kings Lead Hat - 1977

The Medieval Garden Enclosed - The Cloisters

"Welcome to The Medieval Garden Enclosed, a blog dedicated to the plants and gardens of The Cloisters, a branch of The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Enter and explore the role of plants and gardens in medieval life and art, learn how to find and grow medieval herbs and flowers, discuss the long histories of many familiar garden plants, discover which roadside weeds were once valued medicinals, and encounter legendary plants like the mandrake (Mandragora officinarum.)"
MetMuseum: The Medieval Garden Enclosed, YouTube - The Cloisters Museum and Gardens: The Gardens, The Cloisters Museum and Gardens: Behind the Scenes with the Director, A Brief Look At The Cloisters

Giuseppe Vetrano

Alone in New York
"Filmmaker and editor for many years, director with a big passion for filmmaking and photography, since he was a child Giuseppe demostrated a strong interest in videomaking and editing."
Giuseppe Vetrano, Inspiration – Giuseppe Vetrano (Video)

Soap - Francis Ponge

"But Ponge's isn't a rigorous, pedantic obsession. This isn't a book that considers everything that soap is and means; indeed, it is exhaustive only in the most limited way. It's nothing like the currently popular books that consider a very small subject in all its detail and history. Instead, Soap is a playful-poetic (and personal) variation on the theme -- some froth and bubbles, a good deal of repetition (as he warns there will be), and certainly very little technical or historical information about soap."
the complete review, Google - Soap, amazon, Powells Books

The Last Waltz - The Band

"The Last Waltz was a concert by the rock group The Band, held on American Thanksgiving Day, November 25, 1976, at Winterland Ballroom in San Francisco. The Last Waltz was advertised as the end of The Band's illustrious touring career, and the concert saw The Band joined by more than a dozen special guests, including Paul Butterfield, Eric Clapton, Neil Diamond, Bob Dylan, Emmylou Harris, Ronnie Hawkins, Dr. John, Joni Mitchell, Van Morrison, Ringo Starr, Muddy Waters, Ronnie Wood, Bobby Charles and Neil Young."
Wikipedia, amazon, The Last Waltz, YouTube - The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down, Don't Do It, Ophelia, It Makes No Difference, The Shape I'm In, Van Morrison - Caravan, Dr. John - Such a Night, Coyote - Joni Mitchell, Neil Young - Helpless, Baby Let Me Follow You Down - Bob Dylan, Bob Dylan - I Shall Be Released

Gabrielle Bell

Wikipedia - "Gabrielle Bell (b. March 24, 1976 in London, England) is an American alternative cartoonist known for her surrealist, melancholy semi-autobiographical stories."
Wikipedia, Gabrielle Bell, An Interview with Gabrielle Bell

Dub Colossus

Wikipedia - "Dub Colossus are a band from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Their sound fuses traditional ethio-jazz with dub, and reggae. The band was formed by Dan Harper (Invisible System) and Nick Page - aka Dubulah, who drew inspiration from working with singers and musicians in Addis Ababa in August 2006. Harper was an aid worker with a studio in Addis also recording the successful Invisible System project with founding members of Dub Colossus."
Wikipedia, npr: Dub Colossus Brings Reggae To Ethiopia, YouTube - Uptown Top Ranking, Yeka Sub City Rockers, Azmari Dub, Black Rose, Dub Colossus

Public Access Poetry

Ted Berrigan
"Even if you were watching the innovation called cable TV in 1977 and 1978, what are the chances that you saw a show titled Public Access Poetry? Produced by Poetry Project stalwarts Greg Masters, Gary Lenhart, David Herz, Didi Susan Dubelyew, Daniel Krakauer, Bob Rosenthal and Rochelle Kraut, PAP programs featured half-hour readings by a wide range of poets and performers who could roughly be categorized as 'downtown,' more often than not linked in one way or another with the Poetry Project. The cable TV series lasted two seasons (one live, the other recorded for later airing) and was produced with little-to-no broadcasting experience by the PAP personnel."
The Poetry Project at St. Mark’s Church

"Take the A Train" - Duke Ellington

Wikipedia - "Take the 'A' Train is a jazz standard by Billy Strayhorn that was the signature tune of the Duke Ellington orchestra. It is arguably the most famous of the many compositions to emerge from the collaboration of Ellington and Strayhorn. ... The song was first recorded on January 15, 1941 as a standard transcription for radio broadcast. The first (and most famous) commercial recording was made on February 15, 1941. The title refers to the A subway service that runs through New York City, going at that time from eastern Brooklyn up into Harlem and northern Manhattan, using the express tracks in Manhattan."
Wikipedia, YouTube - Take the A Train

Don Drummond

Wikipedia - "Don Drummond (March 12, 1932 – May 6, 1969) was a Jamaican ska trombonist and composer. He was one of the original members of The Skatalites, and composed many of their tunes."
Wikipedia, YouTube - Confucious, Love In The Afternoon, Garden of love, Rocket Ship, Aliphang, Further East, Scrap Iron, Ska Town, Burning Torch

A Very Long Engagement

Wikipedia - "A Very Long Engagement ... is a 2004 French romantic war film, directed by Jean-Pierre Jeunet and starring Audrey Tautou. It is a fictional tale about a young woman's desperate search for her fiancé who might have been killed on the battle of the Somme, during World War I. It was based on a novel of the same name, written by Sebastien Japrisot, first published in 1991."
Wikipedia, amazon, Roger Ebert, YouTube - A Very Long Engagement, A Very Long Engagement - Reunited

Fresh Stuff From Specter Dusambe, Tajikistan

"Gabriel Specter is internationally known for precise street art installations that revitalize forgotten environments."
Wooster Collective, Specter Art

Grand Master Flash 1983 – How to do a Break Mix

"This video takes you wayyyyyyyyyyyyy back. A lot of us weren’t even DJ’n back in those days. This video is way to basic compared to what we do these days but its a very interesting video to watch."
DJ Knockz, YouTube - How to do a Break Mix 1983 Grand Master Flash

Chen Zhen

Les Pas Silencieux
"born in china but living much of his life in paris until his death at 45 years old, chen zhen is one of the most recognized artists of the chinese avant-garde, investigating the sites of engagement between east and west even as he explored extremely personal and spiritual questions through his art."
DesignBoom, CMOA, YouTube - Les pas silencieux

Skillet Lickers

Wikipedia - "The Skillet Lickers were an old-time band from Georgia, USA. When Gid Tanner teamed up with blind guitarist Riley Puckett and signed to Columbia in 1924, they created the label's earliest so-called 'hillbilly' recording. Gid Tanner formed The Skillet Lickers in 1926."
Wikipedia, W - Gid Tanner, YouTube - Dance All Night With A Bottle In Your Hand, The old gray mare, Cotton-Eyed Joe, Ya Gotta Quit Kickin My Dog Aroun, Dixie, Bonapart's Retreat

Evergreen Review Reader 1957-1966

"A rich selection of articles, stories, book extracts, poems, plays, cartoons, and covers from the first decade of America's premier avant-garde magazine of the 50's and 60's (Evergreen Review lasted until 1973, but its importance as an iconoclastic voice waned with the arising of the 60's countercultural movement)."
amazon

Faro Annie - John Renbourn

Wikipedia - "Faro Annie is the 1971 solo album by British Folk musician John Renbourn. On this release, Renbourn ventures into Folk Rock and Blues territory. There is also heavy use of the sitar on this album, played by Renbourn himself. He is joined on the album by Pentangle bandmates Danny Thompson and Terry Cox."
Wikipedia, YouTube - Teaches "Buffalo", Kokomo Blues, Faro Annie, Little Sadie, The Cuckoo

30 years - Kronos Quartet

"For more than 30 years, the Kronos Quartet — David Harrington, John Sherba (violins), Hank Dutt (viola), and Jeffrey Zeigler (cello) — has pursued a singular artistic vision, combining a spirit of fearless exploration with a commitment to expanding the range and context of the string quartet. ... Kronos then began building a compellingly diverse repertoire for string quartet, performing and recording works by 20th-century masters (Bartók, Shostakovich, Webern), contemporary composers (Aleksandra Vrebalov, John Adams, Alfred Schnittke), jazz legends (Ornette Coleman, Charles Mingus, Thelonious Monk), and artists from even farther afield (rock guitar legend Jimi Hendrix, Azeri vocalist Alim Qasimov, multimedia performer Meredith Monk)."
Kronos Quartet, Nonesuch, amazon

YouTube: Kronos Quartet live (a film by Jean-Marc Birraux) - 1/8, 2/8, 3/8, 4/8, 5/8, 6/8, 7/8, 8/8, Foxy Lady, Jimi Hendrix, Four For Tango, Astor Piazzolla, Sesame Street - What is a String Quartet?, Wu Man and Kronos Quartet Perform Tan Dun's Ghost Opera, Uniko, Kronos Quartet & Alim Qasimov Ensemble, Noam Chomsky, MIT, Gamelan Electrika

vimeo: Jon Rose / Music From 4 Fences, "Lullaby" live at Barbican Hall's Ramadan Nights Festival, Alim Qasimov Ensemble - Getme, Getme (Said Rustamov, Azerbaijan), Ram Narayan: Alap from Raga Mishra Bhairavi

2009 January: Wikipedia

The American Folk Art Museum

"The American Folk Art Museum is the premier institution devoted to the aesthetic appreciation of traditional folk art and creative expressions of contemporary self-taught artists from the United States and abroad. The museum preserves, conserves, and interprets a comprehensive collection of the highest quality, with objects dating from the eighteenth century to the present."
The American Folk Art Museum, The New Yorker: The American Folk Art Museum: Don’t Blame the Architects, Wikipedia, Google

The High Priestess

Wikipedia - "The High Priestess (II) is the second trump or Major Arcana card in most traditional Tarot decks. This card is used in game playing as well as in divination. In the first Tarot pack with inscriptions, the 18th-century woodcut Marseilles Tarot, this figure is crowned with the Papal tiara and labelled La Papesse, the Popess. Some say that it referred to the legend of Pope Joan."
Wikipedia

Richard Brautigan

Wikipedia - "Richard Gary Brautigan (January 30, 1935 – ca. September 14, 1984) was an American novelist, poet, and short story writer. His work often employs black comedy, parody, and satire. He is best known for his 1967 novel Trout Fishing in America."
Wikipedia, Richard Brautigan, the brautigan pages, Literary Kicks, NYT: A Homecoming for Richard Brautigan, Poetry Foundation, YouTube - Richard Brautigan in a hammock