WELCOME TO V. VALE's RE/SEARCH NEWSLETTER #68, January 2008.
HERE'S THE NEWS FROM SAN FRANCISCO... ALL READERS ARE INVITED TO SEND
CONTRIBUTIONS AND FEEDBACK!
CONTENTS:
1. RE/Search Presents
(with Hypnodrome): Sat Jan 19, 7:30 PM and 10 PM. **CRASS** founders PENNY
RIMBAUD (1st San Francisco appearance!) and GEE VAUCHER. Hypnodrome, 575 10th
St, S.F.
2. Sat Jan 12, 6:30pm: RE/Search's "Counter Culture
Hour" (with host V. Vale) featuring monochrom's RoboExotica. Re-edited.
S.F. Cable Channel 29, San Francisco. The channel is beginning on-line
streaming now! Not sure if this month's made it on-line yet, but please check
http://www.accessf.org.
3. Other Forthcoming Events
4. Stephane von Stephane's column
5. What We've Attended...
6. What We've Been Reading/Seeing/Listening to/What We've Been
Sent:
7. RECOMMENDED LINKS - thanks to our friend Phil G, James McN-,
Derek B. & Others
8. Quotes
9. Feedback from Readers.
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**Give gifts to friends: New "Rare" Stuff not in any
store:
() Mr Death "Catch You Later" yellow/black T-shirt
(edition of 50; S,M,L,XL, $25)
() R/S 4/5 Burroughs-Gysin-Throb.Gristle **hardback** w/new
interview/photos (limited edition of 500; $60 Amazon list - preorder for $35!
http://www.researchpubs.com/Blog/?page_id=13&category=9
() W.S. Burroughs T-shirt in S,M,L,XL (only 100 printed; $25)
http://www.researchpubs.com/Blog/?page_id=13&category=9
() Louder Faster Shorter Punk 1978 DVD (edition of 500; $20) -
http://www.researchpubs.com/Blog/?page_id=13&category=10!
() In general, To order: info@researchpubs.com, call 415-362-1465,
or order on-line from http://www.researchpubs.com . Or visit our office.
Support RE/Search: Visit Our Office, and buy direct (please avoid
amazon- we don't even make our expenses supplying them our books) !... Your
books can be autographed / personalized by V. Vale; you can experience the
"legendary" office which only "foreigners" visit.
() You can "score" our (4) rare, hard-to-find, J.G.
Ballard books - note that Ian Curtis was a huge J.G. Ballard fan! We have a
special, all 4 of our Ballard books for $60!
() Or the dazzling PRANKS 2 - a follow-up to our first PRANKS book
- which isn't in many stores.
http://www.researchpubs.com/Blog/?page_id=13&category=11
() Or other rare out-of-print books, only at our office!
http://www.researchpubs.com/Blog/?page_id=13&category=9;
() Plus, INDUSTRIAL CULTURE HANDBOOK limited edition hardback
(RE/Search's edition 1000 copies on gorgeous, glossy paper; Amazon list price
$60. Order direct for Special price $35 (plus $6 shipping U.S.; $15 Air
Overseas). http://www.researchpubs.com/Blog/?page_id=13&category=10
() In general, To order: info@researchpubs.com, call 415-362-1465,
or order on-line from http://www.researchpubs.com.
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() NEW WEBSITE (still being augmented) thanks to Elie, our
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it has a blog by V. Vale now (please subscribe to it), videos, and more...
Suggestions for improvement? Please email us: info@researchpubs.com
1. RE/Search Presents (with
Hypnodrome): Sat Jan 19, 7:30 PM and 10 PM. CRASS founders PENNY RIMBAUD (1st
San Francisco appearance!) doing spoken word, supported by Australian
saxophonist/flautist LOUISE HILLIER, and GEE VAUCHER, CRASS visual artist.
PENNY RIMBAUD will perform, followed by an interview with Penny and Gee Vaucher
by V. Vale, with questions from the audience. Hypnodrome, 575 10th St/Bryant
St, S.F. $10 General Admission. Advance tickets highly recommended: call
RE/Search 415-362-1465. The beautiful Hypnodrome Theater only seats 50 people
per show. For each show there are (6) "Opera Boxes" available for $40
each; each box holds (2) people, and includes posters autographed by Penny and
Gee ($20 each, do the math). This event benefits the CRASS founders who are
raising money to pay the expenses of visiting San Francisco, so your money
directly helps the artists. Rare Books/posters will be available for sale,
along with selected RE/Search titles, discounted. Please support this
last-minute, very intimate event
-- meet and talk with CRASS founders Penny Rimbaud and Gee Vaucher.
2.
Sat Jan 12, 6:30pm: RE/Search's "Counter Culture Hour" (with host V.
Vale) featuring monochrom's RoboExotica, Dec 2006. S.F. Cable Channel 29, 2nd
Sat of month (set your recorder). Various members of monochrom and other international
robot-makers demonstrate their cocktail robotic-oriented theme installations,
machines, and philosophies behind their creativity. Please write us if you're
interested in collecting CCH episodes on DVD - $12 per episode, or subscribe
and get 6 for $60 (plus, we will send you personal letters). (Note: very small
production run, just for you). This month's episode is an improved edit of last
month's.
We are accepting underwriters for the Counter Culture Hour. We
have a backlog of interviews but are short on resources for editing. Please
consider becoming an underwriter! You would get on-screen credit.
3.
Other Forthcoming Events:
() Jan 18, 8pm. Opening for the "Yo! What Happened to
Peace" collective art opening/ exhibition/party/event at Jack Hanley
Gallery, Valencia St at 15th St. John Carr is still magnetizing artists to
contribute to an ever-growing touring exhibition of "pro-peace, anti-war,
and anti-occupation prints" and has recently released an inspiring, dense,
beautiful color catalog with an introduction by Winston Smith. Project
coordination by Katherine Kirby. For more information visit
http://www.yowhathappenedtopeace.org
Tonight's event promises to be a high-energy party, with some of the
best artists in California in attendance including the visiting U.K.
dignitaries Gee Vaucher and Penny Rimbaud of CRASS. Go there and buy the
limited edition catalog and some rare Crass books and posters, too.
() Jan 12,
7:30pm. Writers With Drinks, Make
Out Room, 3225 22nd Street/Mission. SIMONE CORDAY reads from her book
"9-1/2 Years Behind the Green Door" - a stark, dispassionate (and
occasionally sizzling) account of her years with Artie Mitchell, founder of the
renowned Mitchell Brothers Cinema in San Francisco.
() Jan. 19, Carol Queen is hosting a Book Party for SIMONE CORDAY
at the Center for Sex and Culture, 1519 Mission/11th St. Simone says,
"Although it's not being advertised, I am bringing along that infamous
"Green Door" remake & perhaps the original, so we can take a
look. The remake especially is almost camp at this point!" Simone is very
personable, likable, and we support this, her first book, as another lamp along
the path toward a more post-feminist world.
() Jan 16. Francoise Hardy Birthday Celebration. Les Barbary
Coasters are going continental in celebration of Francoise Hardy's birthday.
That's right, in honor of everybody's favorite Ye-Ye Girl, the Barbary Coasters
will be singing some songs in French. Also on the bill is Brittany native
Hlne Renaut, and DJ Brother Grimm (one third of the Bardot a Go Go crew) will
be spinning French pop for your listening and dancing pleasure. The fun starts
at 8:00 and goes until the Metro stops running. The Rickshaw Stop (155 Fell St,
SF). $8 (roughly 50 francs)
() Through Jan 15, 3:30-10PM. The Marsh Cafe, 1070 Valencia/22nd
St. Peter Dotys photography exhibit (Peter was in our PRANKS 2 book) includes
his unique multi-season still-morphing photo collages, panoramic photo
collages, abstract single shots & series, and whimsical & unusual
photographs. MORE INFO: Call Peter
Doty at (415) 252-7459.
() Feb 1-March 8, 2008. DANGER GIRL: Paintings by Eileen Starr
Moderbacher
Opening Reception Friday, February 1, 6-9pm With special
performances by poet, Stephanie Baker,accompanied by saxophonist Dimitri
Moderbacher. Eileen Starr Moderbacher's work is rooted in collage. She employs
photographs, film stills, and cut-outs from comic books. Wed-Sat, 1-6pm
or by appointment 415.861.3144 MISSION 17, 2111 Mission Street,
Suite 401, S.F.
() Spring 2008: Savage Republic 1938 Tour of Europe - google for
tour schedule, and support these industrial noise music stalwarts...
4. Stephane
von Stephane This month's column will not be a review so much as a
"channeling" of William S. Burroughs. So, it is Christmas...
Christmas sux. The only good thing about it is the lights. And when you think
about it, light -- or lack thereof -- is what it's all about, anyway. Light
within, light without, light in the loafers, light of my life. Lite milk, lite
cheese, lite beer. No one wants it heavy anymore. The substance has gone out of
just about everything.
But the best thing about Christmas is the lights. I keep my lights
up all year. It is my birthright as an AMERICAN to annoy my neighbor by keeping
my lights up all year. Mind you, they're simple, not gaudy: rainbow colors
around the front window and door. That's it! Unlike my neighbor, who is exercising
his right to an-noy me with a gaudy display of Americana: Red, White, and Blue
f**ckin Christmas lights. And he has to fly the American flag all year long. I
fly Tibetan prayer flags. My neighbor probably doesn't know what they are, just
that they are not American and therefore must be viewed with suspicion. That is
the American way, after all: Be suspicious of anything you don't understand.
Sic your dog on it!
The interesting thing about this year's Christmas lights is that
the blue is new. It is a cold and piercing blue now, the color of police
cruiser flasher blue. That sharp and blaring blue that gives you a sick feeling
in your stomach to see in your rear-view mirror. God, I hate that blue.
Previous years' Christmas lights' blue was a soft pale holy Virgin Mother Mary
blue. Lovely, really, when compared to this year's blue. The Chinese make all
the Christmas lights now, and clearly they are behind this new torturous blue.
Take away the Holy Virgin Mother Mary from us, will ya?! It's bad enough you
poisoned our pets and children with poisonous food and toys -- now you invite
us to your country for the Olympics, and spend more of our money to boost your
robber baron economy. I'd like to say "Fat Chance," but I fear
America loves its steroid-filled athletes and gold medals too much to say No.
At least we now have the addition this year of purple Christmas
lights -- now THAT is a color that benefits from over-saturation. I cannot not
get enough of the purple -- more of that, please! And there seems to be a new
"led" color that is is a pale, pale, pale, light blue, which is very
effective as a cold white. I am all for the cold white. If we must trade away
Holy Virgin Mother Mary blue for cold white and purple, then I guess all is not
lost... Though some would say purple is the Devil's color -- and maybe it is. I
don't know. If it is, then the Devil has scored a minor victory this Christmas.
I had better go and buy up all the purple and cold white lights at the
after-Christmas sales now, before these colors get outlawed. That way I can
plan to annoy my neighbor even more next year, by being not only un-American,
but unholy as well. - Stephane von Stephane
5. What
We Attended:
() Annual Last Gasp Party, Fri Dec 21, 2007. Scott Beale made a
little video of the party, with V. Vale providing musical soundtrack on the
Steinway square grand piano in the Last Gasp Museum of Incredible Oddities
Archive Room. Squidlist provides a regularly updated listing of important
cultural events in the Bay Area: website/blog: http://laughingsquid.com
hosting: http://laughingsquid.net
squid list: http://laughingsquid.com/squidlist/events/
photos: http://laughingsquid.com/photo/
squid: http://squid.us
() A most fabulous party at Mickey McGowan's Unknown Museum -- why
doesn't the Smithsonian Museum fund this and in fact transplant the entire
building into their compound? The world would be a better place! This is our
American history condensed into a densely detailed dream ... of a domestic
installation.
() A great afternoon party at filmmaker/musician/writer Loren
Means' house, filled with some of the best books, videos, and music the world
has yet produced. Very interesting people attended.
() Bimbo's 365 Club, New Year's Eve, presented a thoroughly
wonderful show featuring the New Morty Show (www.newmortyshow.com; with Vise
Grip and Connie Champagne), and the amazingly talented Big Sandy and His
Fly-Rite Boys, directed by founder Robert Williams (www.bigsandy.net). We also
enjoyed the all-too-brief revue by the Kitty Kitty Bang Bang Burlesque Show,
the Frisky Frolics featuring Ricky Quisol the Dimestore Dandy on vocals and
ukelele, and the two-man theremin/musical saw/kazoo and guitar duo, the Ramshackle
Romeos in the small room. We heard a lot of "beautiful" or
"classic" songs, some recently written by Robert Williams. Most of
the artists were featured in our Swing! book:
http://www.researchpubs.com/Blog/?page_id=13&category=8 Scroll down to the Swing book for some
excerpts.
6. What
We've Been Reading//Seeing/Listening to/What We've Been Sent:
() CRASS LOVE SONGS (book). "Our love of life is total,
everything we do is an expression of that. Everything that we write is a love
song... Crass: a rural collective based in Essex, formed in 1977 of a diverse
and eclectic group of individuals who operated for several years using music,
art, literature an film as vehicles to share information and ideas. They also
wanted to change the world. This is a collection of words spanning those seven
short years; a book of shock slogans...an anthology of passionate love songs
that sought to inspire a generation." [from back cover]
"The ideas we promoted (pacifism, vegetarianism, anarchism,
feminism, environmentalism, activism) were heartfelt and considered, and, like
the Internet now, posed a major threat to established music business
practices...Selling records at under half the price of the majors, we
demonstrated that huge profits were not necessary...The DIY ethic behind Crass
was one which inspired untold numbers of activists...Now Gee Vaucher's artwork
(unscrupulously imitated and ripped-off, but rarely acknowledged) has become
the subject of academic debate, and there's even a growing interest in the
never before recognized musical intelligence of our work... We succeeded in
creating a meaningful political dialogue. That is our legacy, which is a long
way from the regressive kitsch nostalgia of punk postcards for tourists, and
the endless, pointless re-forming of bands who had nothing to say twenty-five
years ago and even less to say today...
"Real love is the fight to free the slaves who in their
degrading poverty are forced to dig those 'precious' stones from the earth.
Love is not a puppy for Christmas. Real love is the fight to free animals from
the obscene torture of the vivisector's scalpel and the butcher's knife. Love
then is not a word; it is total action... As long as there are those who use
their lives to devalue that of others, it is up to those who love life to
oppose them. That is the only true meaning I can give the word [love]. So here
they are, 'Love Songs.' I hope they inspire you to act." -- Penny Rimbaud
() Jill Tracy's free songs on the Internet (google to find them)
() We read most of Simone Corday's somewhat poignant "9-1/2
Years Behind the Green Door," which Charles Gatewood described thusly:
"I read it all in one night!" Our favorite passages involved
descriptions of other strippers and their lives, anecdotes about Hunter S.
Thompson, and mentions of Warren Hinckle -- who started "War News"
with Mitchell Brothers' funding. Not many books like this one! The author has
an M.A. degree and kept a journal, unlike the writers behind most "As Told
To" memoirs.
() Persepolis, a film based on the graphic novels by Marjane
Satrapi; she and Vincent Paronnaud co-directed this feature. Makes some of the
hazards of "keeping it real" in the Punk Rock Life seem, well, less
"heavy" than, say, facing torture in Iran. Beautifully drawn and
well-edited -- the film was over before we expected. Definitely recommended.
Difficult to forget. Disturbing in recollection. Haunting... in its beauty.
() Sean Kingston's "Beautiful Girls" and "Me
Love" are very catchy, sing-along tunes played on the radio and now found
on YouTube. We liked the ABBA videos on YouTube, too, as well as the Charles
Manson clips -- ferocious -- never be in the same room with him!
() Billy Hawk, founder of the OFFS circa 1977 in San Francisco,
sent us a book from Hong Kong: SCANDAL by Shusaku Endo (1923-1996). Very
difficult to put down this book and get any sleep. We can hardly wait to see
how the book ends. Talk about an untrustworthy narrator whose life is grounded
in contradictions?! This is the best non-mystery fiction book we've read in at
least a decade. The author tries to get at the WHY behind -- well, read the
book and find out!
() Kent Beyda sent us a CDR of photos from the opening of the Mark
Mothersbaugh "Rugs During Wartime and Peacetime" exhibit at the Scion
Gallery in L.A. last month. - Thanks, Kent!
() Autopsia's "Berlin Requiem" and "Silently the
Wolves Are Watching" -- from R. Milinkovic, Prague. (autopsia.net) Admire
his statement: "We need to invent virtuous revolutionary radical machines to
place them in the nodal points of the network, as well as facing the general
intellect that administers the imperial meta-machines. Before starting this, we
need to be aware of the density of the 'intelligence' that is condensed in each
commodity, organization, message and media, in each machine of postmodern
society." Amen!...I THINK...
() Just excavated from a pile of misfiled mail: Thomas Cazals, 18
Rue Mont Richard, 77250 Moret Sur Loing, France, sent us his film
"L'Oracle de Shepperton (J.G. Ballard)." Send him $20 for a
hand-burned copy to cover shipping. He also sent us an Estelle Hallyday in San
Francisco CDR. We promise to play these tomorrow when our French intern Elie
arrives...
() Some "Incredibly Strange Music" can be found here:
http://www.tv-radio.com/podcast/radioradio/docteur_k/docteur_k.xml
() From Sandra D: "I have been to Iceland 5 times. They are
very clever, resourceful people. This is a prank that will be making this
Icelander famous for a while:"
http://www.icelandreview.com/icelandreview/daily_news/?cat_id=28304&ew_0_a_id=295628
() Adrian Pacobelli's website: http://www.thepopulation.ca
7.
RECOMMENDED LINKS - thanks to our friend Phil G, James McN-, & Others who
sent us the below:
() "Some of you might find this video of slight interest (it
is the first ten minutes of a 25-minute
set I did last October)...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sm9h4qdRxx8 -- Ferrara Brain Pan. Other sites
include:
http://www.formsofthingsunknown.com http://www.myspace.com/formsofthingsunknown
() Mick does a double-take:
http://tsutpen.blogspot.com/2008/01/when-legends-gather-338.html - more takes,
from the masters:
http://johnkstuff.blogspot.com/2008/01/takes.html
http://johnkstuff.blogspot.com/2008/01/clampett-takes-for-gags-for-punctuation.html
(John K's blog is a great tutorial on classic animation)
() Johnny has a yo-yo: the passing of a legend -
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/03/arts/03wallis.html?_r=1
() For the love of the dog:
http://www.bonzodog.co.uk/index.php?page=shop.product_details&category_id=8&flypage=shop.flypage&product_id=25&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=29&vmcchk=1
() From Derek B: This is hilarious! I love Bill Maher. It's his
D*CK-HEADS of 2007 list, courtesy of Rolling Stone magazine. If this doesn't
make you laugh, you're dead inside.
http://www.rollingstone.com/photos/gallery/17538811/dickheads_of_the_year/photo/1/large/
Also, RE "Sweeney Todd" movie: two words: f-in'
fantastic!
- Tori Amos playing LITTLE DRUMMER BOY:
http://www.93xrt.com/pages/1256765.php
() sent by Kent B: Ramones:
http://blogs.guardian.co.uk/film/2007/07/in_1979_a_movie_with.html
() sent by Chris T: Modern "Wanted" posters:
http://www.cnn.com/2007/TECH/12/14/digital.wanted.posters.ap/index.html
() From jpm: "Here is another funny one that parodies the
typical Ken Burns style. A tongue-in-cheek or a pork in barrel. Talented in
sheer level of spoofness!!! OLD SPACE PROGRAM:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lxNAPqGDwCo
() "This band was around since 1996 -- their aptly named band
caused quite a few stirs by the placement of stickers on bicycles. Pretty
clever if you ask me!
"On March 02, 2006 at 5:30 AM an Ohio University police
officer spotted a bicycle attached to the Oasis restaurant bearing a
promotional sticker for the band. The officer saw the words, "This Bike Is
a Pipe Bomb" and became concerned. The area was cordoned off, and part of
the campus was closed for several hours. The bicycle was subsequently destroyed
by the Athens bomb squad despite assurances from the bike's owner that it was
just a sticker. The owner, a graduate student, was initially charged with
inducing panic, a misdemeanor. However, the charges were dropped a few days
later. Later the student was awarded money for the damages to his bicycle.
"A similar incident occurred in 2001, when a police officer
spotted and detained a woman at an Austin, Texas peace rally. Her bicycle was
also labeled with the band's sticker. The woman was released after the band's
existence was confirmed.
"On Tuesday, March 14, 2006 Bellarmine Hall at Saint Joseph's
University in Philadelphia, PA was evacuated because of another bicycle with
the band's name painted on it. No charges were filed."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/This_Bike_is_a_Pipe_Bomb
() Reverend Billy's Church of Stop Shopping has its own feature
film -- google to find it.
8.
QUOTES:
() "There has never been a good war or a bad peace." -
Benjamin Franklin
() "Look for shadows -- they define everything -- turn a
circle into a ball." -- Winston Smith
() "It's the details that count."
() "Memory is the biggest liar of them all."
() "Life is short and then you die/Why waste time, by and
by?"
() "Superficial transgressive culture is obsessed by the
spectacle of superficial transgression."
() "You can't trust people who act too happy."
() "Our b(r)and could be your life..."
() "Faux anything is so po-mo..." - Katherine K.
() "There is no line between the 'real world' and the world
of myth and symbol." - W. S. Burroughs
() "War hides poverty."
9.
Feedback from Readers.
() MARK PAULINE's HOUSE FOR SALE: Beautiful little Two-storey House (on corner lot) personally
hand-crafted (in part) by SRL founder Mark Pauline (is this an "artist's
installation"?) - available for sale, and ready for immediate occupancy,
in Brisbane, California, a quiet old-fashioned town just south of San
Francisco, close to the S.F. Airport. Write info@researchpubs.com if interested!
() "Goodbye 2007! And thank f*ck! Personally, apart from a
couple of truly bright spots on the sun of this year, first and foremost the
birth of [my daughter] Fiona, this has been one of the worst and most stressful
years of my life. Nothing like putting phony sent-you-mental sentimentality
aside,
eh? So let's hope 2008 is a good 'un for all of us. Onwards as the
snow falls in peaceful hearty mysterious Chi-town blankets, Graham Rae."
() Sent by Lionelle H: "THE 12 LIES OF PRESIDENT BUSH (sung
to the tune of The 12 Days of Christmas)
On the first day of Christmas
the President said to me
There are weapons of mass destruction in Iraq...
1. weapons of mass destruction in Iraq
2. Saddam's in Al Queda
3. Iraqis did 9/11
4. Congress bent over!
5. Mission Accomplished
6. They've got to have elections
7. Abu Gharaib was a mistake
8. We need Guantanamo
9. Wiretap US citizens
10. We need 2/3 of their oil now
11. Surge and back the Sunnis
12. 5,000 troops home by Xmas-no! let's deploy 6,000 from
NY-NJ"
() [please note that almost all the SEARCH & DESTROY tabloids
from 1977-79 are STILL AVAILABLE (for now) from www.researchpubs.com -- you can
still get them, autographed (upon request) by original editor/publisher V.
Vale] Write for special pricing: info@researchpubs.com
_____________________________
JANUARY 2008 RE/Search eNewsletter written by V. Vale &
contributors. Newsletter and website powered by http://www.laughingsquid.com
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