Mix Annotations - An Old Old Party
Hi Friends!
Last weekend I finally secured (thanks to Caleb) the last outstanding volume of Sue Grafton's Alphabet series. True fans will remember that I picked up A is for Alibi feeling kind of resigned that I was fated to read the series, and so why was I avoiding it, etc.
But of course, since I got started, I hadn't been able to fully settle until I made sure that I had all the books. It's not that I needed to read all the books, just first that I had to have all the books. I ~am~ reading them. I'm up to M (it's for Malice), but even still I was always trying to squeeze in a stop at Toronto's used bookstores any time I was out on an errand or a bike ride to get all the future volumes. Shameful behaviour, really.
And the worst part is that I'm hooked on the habit. Now I feel the constant pull to go into used bookstores, just to look, and maybe see if there are mysteries that I want to buy, just to have, because again, I'm fated to someday be getting to all of them. Murder Mysteries is just the project I'm living through now, and I will definitely get through them all (the "good" ones at least) before I die. I have two milk crates just overflowing with books that I'm just praying to g-d I'll actually get to and they weren't just a waste of money. In this economy?! Again, shameful behaviour.
So on my way back from The Great Escape (again, thanks Caleb), I stopped into Re: Reading on the Danforth (just to see!) and ended up walking out with an Abner Dean collection that they had behind the front cash. As an aside, I'm not shy about the horny media I consume, but I still felt a pause when I had to ask the cashier if I could see the copy of Naked People that was behind the counter. ("Does that book say Naked People? I must have it!")
With the aside aside, Abner Dean isn't a murder mystery writer (that I know of). Amongst other things, though, he was most famous for his cartooning, which is also what I really like him for. And again, while I need to be clear that I really enjoy and respond to Dean's art, a lot of it is fake-deep, pseudo philosophical nonsense. I'm including some examples of the work here, but as you can see it's a bunch of theatrical drawings with vague text underneath. I think the text would make more sense if they were instagram captions, or even msn names, but because it's an old New Yorker cartoonist, stuffy people try to make it sound like it's more. And if I'm being completely honest, after flipping through Naked People, my first feeling was "Oh, these read just like my mixtape titles," which is not my ~favourite~ realization. Again, these cartoons are fake-deep. And I'm not saying my mixtape titles are supposed to be real deep (they certainly don't mean anything), but they sound like the could or they should. And that's what draws me to using them, the same way I'm drawn to enjoying Dean's work. That, and he's really good at drawing.
If I think too much about it, this is such wet noodle art. David Shrigley is someone else who falls into this camp too. I feel like Shrigley spent so much of the first lockdowns sharing art (on ig at least) that spoke to people feeling angry or frustrated, but just at some vague enemy. It was just like saying "I'm mad at THEM" but never being clear about who the "them" was, so any mad audience could see his art and feel like he was the same mad as they were and the art was on their side. I'm sure it's a good way to sell books, but to me it's a big let down for how to use a platform.
(And yes, obviously I'd feel way less conflicted about it if I knew he was on my side! It's just like the way I hate how Josh Matlow does so much endorsing and campaigning on his social media for the Liberal Party, but would I care so much if it was for the NDP or someone I'd actually vote for? Who can say?)
If I'm choosing old cartoonists that I have fewer caveats for, it'd probably be Charles Addams. Or maybe Gary Larson. I just checked to see if Gary kept up with sharing new work, and yes, here's a painting of a pterodactyl shitting on the roof of someone's house. This is art.
Anyways, here’s the link to the latest mix: https://soundcloud.com/draiser2022/an-old-old-party
ANNOTATIONS
The Ernie Game (1967) This movie I heard about through the reissue from Canadian International Pictures. They're a boutique imprint that's putting out special editions of rare, out of print, or forgotten Canadian films. You can watch The Ernie Game for free on the NFB website, but many of their other releases aren't streaming anywhere, so I'm now becoming a blu-ray guy. But just for Canadian movies! I'm setting a limit.
The Lovely Feathers - Rod Stewart Close personal friends. I was in Ottawa one time, just walking down the street, and I saw a flyer on a telephone pole for a Lovely Feathers show. I turned to Victoria and was like "Whoa, that's so cool! We should go!" and she started crying because she'd bought tickets already and was trying to surprise me for our plans later that night.
Wet Leg - Chaise Longue Wet Leg are one of the hot new bands, so hot that my 15 year old niece said they were "totally [her] shit." It reminds me a lot of The Drums "Let's Go Surfing" or even Chad VanGaalen's "Burn 2 Ash", in that it's just a very simple and straightforward catchy song that's hard to argue with.
Architecture in Helsinki - Debbie This one came up on a Spotify playlist.
Toro Y Moi - Deep Routes Close personal friend.
Sylvan Esso - Just Dancing Close personal friend.
New Paradise - I Love Video This song is on this Sasha Crush NTS show.
Boyhood - Stroke It I think this was just a YouTube recommendation. I'm not embarrassed to admit I was immediately suckered in by a song called "Stroke It".
Pino Donaggio - It's a Chance (Main Title) This is from the score to the film to Body Double. It plays during the opening credits, and the big swell made a big impression on me.
Blondie - Out in the Streets Close personal friends.
Fatima Al Qadiri - Qasida (Sunset Fever 2) This is from the soundtrack to Atlantique, which is a very chill, haunting movie.
Lorde - Stoned at the Nail Salon Close personal friends. I was maybe 10% worried that Soundcloud would catch this in it's copyright scanner and not let me upload the track, and 90% figured it would sound kind of fun to pitch the song up. And I was 100% right!
The Go! Team - Hold Yr Terror Close Close personal friends.
The Five Blobs - The Blob Weird Al picked this song for his CBB FM guest spot. The song is very catchy, but the original The Blob is not a very good movie.
Bodies of Water - Never Call Me Again This came up as part of my ongoing excavation of my music hard drive.
Jack Kittel - Psycho I think this was a Spotify Weekly playlist. I'm drawn to it in the same way that I'm drawn to "Take Me Home, Country Roads," in that it's right in my vocal range. If this is at Bar+ I will die.
Kevin Morby - Velvet Highway Close personal friend.
Pops Staples - Friendship I think this song got mentioned on the Object of Sound episode Beautiful (feat. Mavis Staples).
Chassol - Water, Voice & Snow This was on a Spotify Weekly playlist.
Evan J. Cartwright - Walk U Through It (feat. Ambroise And Lune Très Belle) I heard this because I'm on the Idée Fixe newsletter, and they put out this record!
While space allows, I’m stashing my recent mixes and annotations in a Google Drive folder, which you can visit here: The Archive
DRAISER 2022
New year, New Draiser! This time the fundraising goal is $2500. It would mean a lot to me if you considered joining and donating. I’m happy to talk about the many low-impact ways you can do this! Let me know if you’d like to help, or otherwise you can donate here: tinyurl.com/Draiser2022.
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