The Spring Standards
Po'Girl
I was overhearing a convo at the counter at the coffee shop last night and of course had to butt in.
K Records? I asked the dude. You know about K Records?
His eyes lit up and he's like yea I'm a total music nerd I nerd out to stuff like that. Of course now we are talking about 80's indy and riot grrrl music Bikini Kill and Bratmobile, Heavens to Betsy. That all shaped my sensibility, like pointed me to who I am at such an important time I say to him and all the twinkly lights are on inside me the way only the twinkly lights come on when I talk about indy art and riot grl and loud stuff and power to the ppl hand to hand doing it ourself.
I am blogging while we're talking so the convo gos on in bits and pieces. He asks me who I like now I say Dude. I was out of the scene a long time. But the last year, year and a half I am totally into obscure stuff, stuff that I find on the internet. Unsigned. I mean I like a ton of music that's popular but you know, myspace art. That's definitely what I care the most about.
Two weeks ago I saw Po'Girl at Night Cat and in the break talked to one of the members, Awna, for a while. We were both jazzed: their new album was produced entirely by advance sales from their mailing list. The band offered handmade covers for the first 200 sold, and that is how they made the money for the new release they were touring behind. They were signed before, they chose to leave their label, to go indy. Last night The Spring Standard happily announced that they did the same thing with the album they are about to release--presales paid for the full production. It was clear how proud they were to be doing it themselves. I hooped and yahood from the front row I was the only one clapping at first, but whatev most the crowd was middleaged meaning only that perhaps they're a bit set in their ways? I am so amped about this real and legitimate movement in art right now--it too extends in to writing and the lit arts, to poetry and of course self-produced zines and chapbooks. In general, social media is empowering us for the first time ever to successfully and effectively reach audiences in ways we've never been able before. And as anyone who understands culture, sociology, tribe shamanism or magic will tell you--what happens on the periphery edge, what happens on the outside, is actually the first indicator and direction of the tide from within. In other words, the edge of things in art or any ppl-based movement is the true direction.
YES!
Right now I am laughing, I got my eyes worked over at my doctor who is the most competent peeper peeker I know, but she lives in Elkton, which is like so far east of Baltimore it's kinda considered the Eastern Shore and so far north of Kent County it's considered "over there", as in the other side=the other side of the Chesapeake Bay. Ppl on the shore talk of the other side with pariah grimacing. My eye doctor dilated me and then sent me off driving down 95 in the grey wall of mistrain and my trippy no short term vision softeyes. Now I am all the way all the way from there in Annapolis, where I drove literally to buy my cousin some pie from the Amish Market and it's funny to me bc visual reality is still a little teeny bendy from the dilation. Despite my tripeyes and the rain, this is the first time I've been "over here" since I quit my job last Friday--since I told them the only thing keeping me there on the shore, the only thing is my job and for two years I tried to make that enough, but it's not--and I am so, so happy! Needless to say end of summer after a moneymaking quikie down the beach I am hella hyped to move back "over here."
K Records? I asked the dude. You know about K Records?
His eyes lit up and he's like yea I'm a total music nerd I nerd out to stuff like that. Of course now we are talking about 80's indy and riot grrrl music Bikini Kill and Bratmobile, Heavens to Betsy. That all shaped my sensibility, like pointed me to who I am at such an important time I say to him and all the twinkly lights are on inside me the way only the twinkly lights come on when I talk about indy art and riot grl and loud stuff and power to the ppl hand to hand doing it ourself.
I am blogging while we're talking so the convo gos on in bits and pieces. He asks me who I like now I say Dude. I was out of the scene a long time. But the last year, year and a half I am totally into obscure stuff, stuff that I find on the internet. Unsigned. I mean I like a ton of music that's popular but you know, myspace art. That's definitely what I care the most about.
Two weeks ago I saw Po'Girl at Night Cat and in the break talked to one of the members, Awna, for a while. We were both jazzed: their new album was produced entirely by advance sales from their mailing list. The band offered handmade covers for the first 200 sold, and that is how they made the money for the new release they were touring behind. They were signed before, they chose to leave their label, to go indy. Last night The Spring Standard happily announced that they did the same thing with the album they are about to release--presales paid for the full production. It was clear how proud they were to be doing it themselves. I hooped and yahood from the front row I was the only one clapping at first, but whatev most the crowd was middleaged meaning only that perhaps they're a bit set in their ways? I am so amped about this real and legitimate movement in art right now--it too extends in to writing and the lit arts, to poetry and of course self-produced zines and chapbooks. In general, social media is empowering us for the first time ever to successfully and effectively reach audiences in ways we've never been able before. And as anyone who understands culture, sociology, tribe shamanism or magic will tell you--what happens on the periphery edge, what happens on the outside, is actually the first indicator and direction of the tide from within. In other words, the edge of things in art or any ppl-based movement is the true direction.
YES!
Right now I am laughing, I got my eyes worked over at my doctor who is the most competent peeper peeker I know, but she lives in Elkton, which is like so far east of Baltimore it's kinda considered the Eastern Shore and so far north of Kent County it's considered "over there", as in the other side=the other side of the Chesapeake Bay. Ppl on the shore talk of the other side with pariah grimacing. My eye doctor dilated me and then sent me off driving down 95 in the grey wall of mistrain and my trippy no short term vision softeyes. Now I am all the way all the way from there in Annapolis, where I drove literally to buy my cousin some pie from the Amish Market and it's funny to me bc visual reality is still a little teeny bendy from the dilation. Despite my tripeyes and the rain, this is the first time I've been "over here" since I quit my job last Friday--since I told them the only thing keeping me there on the shore, the only thing is my job and for two years I tried to make that enough, but it's not--and I am so, so happy! Needless to say end of summer after a moneymaking quikie down the beach I am hella hyped to move back "over here."
Support the indy art movement people!! and uhhh, btw?
I AM STOKED.
