Painful yellow sunrise.

A moment from my travels in January.

HEY EVERYONE. I HAVE A POOOOOOORTFOOOOOLIOOOOOO SITE NOW. CHECK IT OUT!

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Hala Strana - Fielding

Download: Bandcamp
Tags: Experimental folk, psychedelic, Eastern European

So I've been recently introduced to the work of Steven R. Smith, a self-taught experimental guitarist that has released enough music to hold me over until I'm old and don't care about music anymore. This is merely the first album I was introduced to and I'm all about it right now.
Listen to it if you're down with atmospheric textures and peaceful dissonance (which I know doesn't make any sense). Stuff gets pretty heavy at points, as well.
Smith is also a crazy talented printmaker and is the artist responsible for most of his album covers.

Oh, the news!

Yo! My band, Wood Spider goes on tour today! We're traveling as a five piece through the Midwest down to New Orleans and back up the East Coast in promotion of our new album, In the Thick of It, which you can listen to the heck out of on our Bandcamp.
We'll also be curating a traveling art gallery and distro of prints, zines and stuff as representatives of the Spikedriver Arts collective. All of the shows we're playing are free/donation-based/stupid cheap so you have no reason to not attend every single one! Here are the dates!

WED JAN 4 - NEW HAVEN, CT - Neverending Books (810 State St) w/ Dr. Caterwaul's Cadre of Clarivoyant Claptraps, Tyler Bussey, Black is the Color

THR JAN 5 - ALLSTON, MA - Ted Saunders (Msg for address) w/ The Swaggerin' Growlers, Jake & the Infernal Machine, Andrew Eckel & the Undertones

FRI JAN 6 - HADLEY, MA - Emmett Island (8 Pine Hill Rd) w/ The Suitcase Junket, Asher (of Bella's Bartok), An Historic

SAT JAN 7 - HUSDSON, NY - Spotty Dog Books & Ale (440 Warren St) w/ Pocatello

SUN JAN 8 - ITHACA, NY - Ghost Cat Co-Op (514 N Aurora St) w/ Clog the System, It’s a Riot! Puppet Theater

MON JAN 9 - PITTSUBURGH, PA - Hambone's (4207 Butler St) w/ LRAD!, Gabe Acita & Ryan Williams

TUE JAN 10 - COLUMBUS, OH - Monster House

WED JAN 11 - COVINGTON, KY (Near Cincinnati) - Bangarang's of Covington (620 Scott Blvd)

THR JAN 12 - BELLEVILLE, IL (Near St. Louis) - Illegal Tone Recordings

FRI JAN 13 - MEMPHIS, TN - Courthouse Co-Op

SAT JAN 14 - NEW ORLEANS - We're taking the day off! Let's hang out!

SUN JAN 15 - NEW ORLEANS - Hi-Ho Lounge (2239 St Claude Ave) w/ Sweet Street Symphony

MON JAN 16 - MOBILE, AL - TBA

TUE JAN 17 - PENSACOLA, FL - TBA

WED JAN 18 - ATLANTA, GA - WonderRoot Community Arts Center (982 Memorial Dr) w/ Christ, Lord, Jesse & the Great Perhaps

THR JAN 19 - ROCK HILL, SC - The Hampton House

FRI JAN 20 - CHAPEL HILL, NC - Internationalist Books & Community Center

SAT JAN 21 - DURHAM, NC- Hillbilly Chateaux w/ All Your Science

SUN JAN 22 - RICHMOND, VA - Flying Brick Library

MON JAN 23 - BALTIMORE, MD - Curious Fucking Palace (126 S Arlington Ave) w/ Dee & the Warlocks

TUE JAN 24 - PHILADELPHIA, PA / NEW JERSEY / NEWARK, DE / EASTERN PA - HELP??

SAT JAN 28 - BROOKLYN, NY - The Hive (20 Cook St) w/ Dr. Caterwaul's Cadre of Clairvoyant Claptraps


Sounds fun, yeah? See ya 'round!
(Flier is designed by ME and we'll have a buttload of awesomely hand-printed merch also designed by ME.)

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Also! I'm really excited to announce that our tour distro is going to feature a story I've recently written/illustrated, Mathos & the Pursuit of Beauty. It's about a boy who struggles with the concept of creating beauty and goes on a quest for understanding. In his travels, he talks to a lot of colorful weirdos.

It's currently in zine format with around eight full-page charcoal illustrations and spot drawings. Wood Spider will have them on the road, so if getting one of these is up your alley, come out and see us!

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Wood Spider - In the Thick of It

Download: Bandcamp
Tags: folk punk, cabaret, freak folk, lo-fi

Our new album! Yayayay! Get ready for our most full, composed, personal, texturally oppressive release yet. It's six songs of energy and manic angst with banjo, cello, ukulele, accordion, saw, washboard and a bunch of other things all recorded to tape. We're crazy proud of it and if you're into those sweet archaic formats, we have 200 cassettes of it each in their own beautfilly handmade box-thing!

The insides are teeming with more stuff. Teeming.

'Kay. I'm done. I've got to pack now.

Inappropriate for the holidays.

A week or so ago, I did some holiday collaborations with James DeAngelis. Check out how textural and sad they came out.

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Skeletonbreath - Eagle's Nest, Devil's Cave

Download: Mediafire

Tags: progressive, experimental, math thrash, instrumental

Skeletonbreath is a violinist, electric bassist and drummer. They violently barrel through so many different genres and influences (from classical to surf to metal to Klezmer to omgwhat) but with a bizarre grace that makes it so engaging. If you're looking for alarmingly talented musicians playing manic, brutal as hell compositions that will blow your mind through the back of your skull, do yourself a favor and download this.

You may recognize the playing style of Bob Pycior, who is also the violinist of the gothic country/indie folk group, O'Death.

This album was the soundtrack for the collaborations posted above. I feel like it makes sense.

How'm I Doin'?

Look, guys! I went to Chelsea Market. I drank expensive hot chocolate and did some observation drawings.

Then I traveled back in time to the Upper West Side circa January 1882. I drew the Dakota through Central Park.

It's said that its name is derived from the fact that the building stood tall over a part of Manhattan which, at the time, was as distant and isolated as "the Dakotas" out West.
This was done with charcoal, pastel and dry-brush gesso.

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Mountain Man - Made the Harbor

Download: Mediafire
Tags: chamber folk, indie, a cappella

Oh, my God. Why is this so hauntingly beautiful? Mountain Man is usually comprised of three female vocals over minimal instrumentation and it's that tender simplicity that leaves me swooning over this album. I first listened to this in the backseat during a Boston snowstorm and now that it's getting cold again, Made the Harbor has found me.
If it's any more incentive, it's also Vermont as all hell.

All green and hazy.

Oh, hello. Long time no see. Sorry I've let the place get a little dusty. It's been quite a struggle trying to find a balance between staying on top of the commissions I've got on my plate and indulging in the seductive swells of summer. With that said, my time on the computer has been minimal. But there's benefits to be found in that, right?

Anywho, here's a few favorites from the sketchbook over the past handful of weeks. I'll hopefully be back with something a bit more substantial.

One of a few little paintings I did during a particularly delirious all-nighter during finals week.

Bein' a mopey little illustrator.

A big celebrity.

An embellished European Rhinoceros Beetle.

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Why Are We Building Such a Big Ship? - No Blood No Blooms

Download: http://www.mediafire.com/?ouoo50q5gv8du9p
Tags: punk brass, gospel, new orleans jazz

So here's something I've been blasting lately. A much more polished, nicely produced release in comparison to their self-titled. Gritty punk vocals exchanged for pretty and engaging instrumentation. Was it favorable? You be the judge!

I think I can.

Yo, CT kids! Get out to New London next weekend to see some cool folky things!


Also, here are some school assignments, completely free of context! Oh, joy!

White charcoal, white ink

Charcoal, ink, gesso


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HYENA - Outside, The Great Drought

Download: http://www.mediafire.com/?x2h20rvdu3r2pa3
Website: Bandcamp
Tags: indie rock, experimental, folk, no wave

So many truckloads of work were put into this album and it definitely shows. I'm getting better acquainted with the guys involved with HYENA and they make such cool, beautiful music. All I really want is for it to be heard by more people who would love it. The last three tracks are downright perfect. Please at least give it a listen on their Bandcamp!

Here's to Kerouac.

A washed out doodle of my Equinox.

I'm learning a lot about the beauty of ambiguity when it comes to storytelling. I very often find myself feeling very envious after reading/hearing a brief excerpt of a period in someone else's life that they feel is worth telling. I think to myself, "Damn, that sure must have been something". And maybe I'm feeling so enthralled in their life story because they're leaving so many loose ends to be tied and gaps to be filled. It's really up to my imagination to determine how moving and tear-jerkingly grand the parts that they didn't touch upon were.

So maybe when you're feeling doubtful of whether or not the things you've seen and heard are worth retelling, you can just remember that it's really not up to you to find beauty in them. But you can craft what you're saying to let the viewer find their voice in your own words.

Or something along those lines...

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Noel(le) Longhaul - This Is My Name Now

Download: http://www.mediafire.com/?uzc6r5nsu3badtr
Tags: folk, singer-songwriter, ambient

An example of what I believe to be gorgeous storytelling. Noel's become an acquaintance of mine who always excites me when they update me on the various things they've been working on. They used to be in Mallory back when they were still together, so that may peak some of y'all's interest.

Sketchbook menagerie

Ink-soaked thread pressings

Charcoal & watercolor

Ink-soaked thread pressings & pen

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How to Write a Song

Occasionally,
I’ll look in the mirror and
wonder how I would look in that red shirt.
So I take off what I was
already wearing,
put on that red shirt,
stand in front of the mirror
and find out what I look like
when I wear that red shirt.

But other times
I just take all my clothes off
and stand in front of the mirror
completely naked
and say to myself
Hey,
that’s what I look like.

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Dandelion Junk Queens - No Amps No Masters

Download: http://www.mediafire.com/?862pj3t5jlcc8i8
Tags: punk, junk, folk, jug

"Dandelion Junk Queens is not a Jug Band, nor are we pirates, nor Gypsies/Roma. Dandelion Junk Queens is a Junk Band."

I know I'm a little behind with this one, but I just got my hands on No Amps No Masters this winter and I figure there may be some fans out there who may still be looking for it. So here's Dandelion Junk Queens' latest album (And last too, I think. Sad!)

This release ensures that gang vocals, animosity towards adults and hilarious percussion remain a constant in this band's discography.

"Know that you're worth 44 cents in my eyes."

Preface: The layout of this post is a little less than beautiful. Blogger's HTML shortcuts don't seem to be present.

Here's some little things.

At the heart of all human expression, there are still the raw veins of science and nature. As indicated by this juniper and accordion.

A drawing done with ink and the key that is profiled. You know me and my love of impractical ink drawings...

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The Bill Murray Experience - T'ain't No Sin

Download: http://www.megaupload.com/?d=JM2H1Z42
Tags: Ragtime blues, early jazz

Sure, their name is kind of stupid but when you see them live, you'll overlook it. They're pretty staggeringly phenomenal. If you're ever in Brooklyn on a Wednesday night, go to Roots 'n' Ruckus at the Jalopy Theater. That seems to be their "place".

Fin.

Well, I'm trying to make my living space look somewhat decent before I leave for the holiday and with no food in my fridge to distract me while I wait for my clothes to come out of the dryer, I suppose I can update the web log.

I illustrated an Aesop's Fable this past month. The Fox and the Grapes, to be specific:

In short, a fox sees a bunch of grapes hanging from a "lofty branch" (For whatever reason). He leaps for them with all of his might but all of his endeavors come up short. He then begrudgingly

shrugs off his desire and walks off, convincing himself that they were probably sour anyway.

The moral? Some people despise and belittle the things they cannot have.

Wise words.

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Janet Klein & Her Parlor Boys - Ready for You

Megaupload - http://www.megaupload.com/?d=TD29XYZL
Last.fm tags - jazz, swing, vintage, neo-swing, cabaret

Listen to this album if you would like more proof that:
A. I'd be happier in another decade
B. I'm practically a woman

I like it, though! You should, too!

Edit:

F: I listened to that album you last put up.
A: Yeah? And what'd you think?
F: You're pretty gay.

For the occasion...

----

(Making my current interest in elongated necks and Ural Owls even more apparent).

...I swear I'll make something legitimate soon.

The Life Drawing Landfill

Well, I'm in class with nothing better to do. So I suppose I could upload some life drawings I've done in class recently.

Pencil

Brush/Pen & Ink

Charcoal with white and sanguine chalk

Charcoal


Nupastel

Gouache

I've got a lot more crap coming. I'm nearing the completion of the year. All I have left is a Psychology final and a photo book to bind for Photography. So I guess I'll never have an official day where a giant burden is off of my shoulders...My assignments will just trickle out of my life. Regardless, my workload will be entirely depleted come Monday night. Then and only then I can begin the stupidly vast array of summer projects I've set up for myself.

March of Robopotamus

A few weeks ago, I was experimenting with wet brush and charcoal...Oh, and there's some Micron pen in there, too.