Avey Tare & Kría Brekkan

Avey Tare from Animal Collective and Kría Brekkan (Kristín Anna Valtýsdóttir, former lead singer to Icelandic band múm) have apparently been married since 2007 and live in NYC together.

How did I miss hearing about this? I've been an avid múm fan for years now and I was sad when she left the band. Her ghostly child-like voice has sung me through the rainy days for a while now.

I just saw Animal Collective @ the Fonda on Thursday... total mind blow. Avey Tare is most of the voice behind AC. His ethereal-yet-organic guitar catches and phenomenal vocal range have launched the group to the head of a new generation of expirmental music. Merriweather Post Pavillion is the talk of the town (and rightly so) and never grows old in my head.

They recorded an album together on Paw Tracks titled "Pullhair Rubeye". All the tracks are reversed and was rumored to have been released as a way of messing with album leakers. That is a whole different can of worms.

A kind Ms. Burbach pointed me towards this video:



This video is one of the sweetest most tender things I have ever seen. The song is light and sweet. The stolen glances between the married couple just fills my heart with a hope that marriage may not be dead. As much as it leaves a thick taste in my mouth, this video makes me want to fall in love.

Ya. I said it.

Enjoy.

-jc del barco ii

warm/fan/inspired

Kittens Inspired by Kittens.

I don't have much to say about this. The video left me speechless. Every ounce of bitterness, betrayal, aggression, spite, jealousy... everything evil was wiped clean with this. This video is a revelation. It is rebirth. This video is the voice of God.

-jc del barco ii

 

i/love/cats

I think Chris Brown and Rihanna broke up

http://www.eonline.com/uberblog/b99434_rihanna_cops_chris_brown_threatened.html?sid=rss_topstories&utm_source=eonline&utm_medium=rssfeeds&utm_campaign=rss_topstories


Not cool, Brown, Not cool.

Just two weeks ago my good friend Laura and I were discussing how the two of them are super cute and the next Jay-Z and Beyonce. Her cute hair and stunning voice paired up with his teen-heartthrob vocals and better-than-Timberlake dance moves were a great face for Hip-hop romances.

Then he choked her and popped her in the eye. What a dynamite thing to do, man. That girl is a catch. She opened for Kanye when she was only 19! Chris brown is only 19. That's a lot of life to live with the reputation for beating the shit out of your girlfriends. Wait, he threatened to kill her too.

What's going to happen to their careers now? Jail? Anger Management? Talk groups?

Sad day for relationship role models.

Don't beat your lovers people. Have a happy Valentine's Day.

-jc del barco ii

not violent/willing to be Rihanna's rebound skank/dissappointed

Prop 8 films dot org

Hello all. Here is the reason I haven't been blogging lately. Please support and check the website out and fbook, and twitter, and myspace, etc. A discussion forum will be launched this week to lead discussions. Please join in. I need your voice.

Here is my introductory post at http://prop8films.org/Blog/

Welcome to the Prop 8 Films blog. This blog will act as a good platform for discussion on the passing of Proposition 8 in California. Along with the film makers, I believe it is important to have an open discussion that is neutral and respectful. I feel that a lot of the good points in either side of the spectrum were lost to emotion and bumper stickers.

Let's take a step back and really look at specific points of views. Whether it is race, religion, financial status, political stance, or personal bias... let's take another look at why people stand where they stand.

The documentary that is in production through Bucks Boys will serve as a neutral inspection of the matter. Learn more at prop8films.org.

Follow us on twitter too! Facebook, Myspace, etc, all to come soon. This blog and forum will be as organic and interactive as possible. If there is something you want to talk about or see, we will deliver it.

Nice meeting you,

-jc del barco ii

Nude: Big Ideas (don't get any)

This post is only going to be fun for Radiohead fans.

Here is something my friend Sebastian sent me a few months go.

This project was James Hudson's thesis for the Glasgow School of Arts graphic design course.

He did it for Radiohead's Nude remix contest earlier this year, but didn't finish by the deadline. It is still awesome. Watch. It starts up about a minute in.

Big Ideas (don't get any) from James Houston on Vimeo.

Sinclair ZX Spectrum - Guitars (rhythm & lead)

Epson LX-81 Dot Matrix Printer - Drums

HP Scanjet 3c - Bass Guitar

Hard Drive array - Act as a collection of bad speakers - Vocals & FX

Check his Vimeo page on it for his word on the project here. 

I thought "Nude" was already an incredibly layered and intricately structured composition as it is. Seeing a few old machine parts perform the song blew my little geeky mind. I doubt it was recorded in sync with the footage, but it's still awesome.

If this got you in the Radiohead mood, check out this LA based a capella group, Sonos. They have a cool cover of "Everything in it's Right Place" on their myspace. They are playing live Dec. 20th at the Hotel Cafe in Hollywood. 21+ if you are interested. I'm not. 

Hope this was fun.

-jc del barco ii

radiohead fan/geek/doesn't trust machines

Kids Getting High Off of AIDS Medicine.

I was trying to think of a clever title for this one, but the story in the purest form says it all.

Teens in South Africa are stealing and selling anti-retrovirus drugs and smoking them to get high.

Read the full article here: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7768059.stm

Teens grind up the pills, cut them with painkillers or marijuana and then smoke them in order to induce halucinating and tranquilizing effects. 

...

...

I don't think I'm alone when I say this, but there's something shitty going on here. AIDS is expensive. Magic Johnson beat it because he has a bajillion dollars (and his name is Magic). International governments and NGO's spent around $10 Billion dollars fighting AIDS in 2007 alone. I'm a little chaffed that there is alot of international effort that focuses on fighting AIDS in

 Africa, then the kids drop the ball and roll spliffs out of donated money. Some of these bad apples are stealing needed medicine, some corrupt pharmacists are selling it in secret. The medication requires diligent pill taking schedules. Missing any of these or abusing the drugs can render the treatment null. 

Money doesn't finish the job. The world cares, but the infrastructure of these poorer countries sort of return the favor with a "fuck you" by not establishing social workers to teach people about such risks, people to track the distribution of medication, and honest workers that get paid enough to not want to make a selfish cut.

"Higher-level bodies – those at the top of funding chains – need to take a greater responsibility for the actual implementation of money on the ground. There is a great emphasis amongst the international community on raising money for AIDS, but once that money has been allocated, not enough attention seems to be paid to where it goes." (advert.org, regaurding funding allocation in South Africa with information gathered from an article by N. Ndlovu, article here.) 

And aside from this, wouldn't this sort of just eat away at your guilt? Do people really want to get high at the expense of someone else's safety or health? It's like buying blood diamonds or cocaine. Seriously think about where your possessions are coming from people. Legal or illegal, everything has some sort of cost.

Maybe it's the rush of doing something totally selfish. Who knows.

It's serious business, I'm sure you know. I'm just bummed that such a great treatment is falling into the hands of delinquint prick kids that don't understand the weight of what gets them off. 

Also, watch "Philidelphia". They showed it to us in high school health class to learn about AIDS and why you shouldn't have sex without a condom even if you're Tom Hanks. It's a good movie.

Learn more about AIDS and how you can help here:

http://www.avert.org/

http://www.theglobalfund.org/en/

http://www.unaids.org/en/

Read this on the AIDS situation in South Africa: 

http://www.avert.org/aidssouthafrica.htm

Have a good day!

-jc del barco ii

high on life/human/likes when people don't die

An Ode to the Extinct

I am writing a song in honor of all extinct animals. It is important to honor the dead. It is my duty as a citizen of Earth to honor all of its citizens... past, present, and future. Here are the playful and loving lyrics to it. I need help writing a playful-yet-mournful melody to it. Who wants to help?

Dodo,

I'm sorry, I heard about about your tragic and cold fate,

I just saw your stuffed stiff body over at the London Tate.

Was your pretty curved beak hunted or did it cause you a pretty mate?

The Seventeenth century was long ago, I couldn't help, I came far too late.

Tassy,

Tasmanian Tiger with the widest grin a foot from nose to chin,

Was it the Aussie dogs always hunting and barking that finally did you in?

1936 was a sad year to go,  FDR's second term, oh did you see him win?

Your pretty black stripes are gone now, they hunted you down, they would not listen.

Pretty beasts of the pasts,

I know you don't know who I am, 

but, oh, how I know you.

If the world could just give me a chance,

to bring you back,

to let you see what I can do!

T-rex,

Giant teeth and legs, King of all lizards to this very day,

Like many others as a little boy, to you I'd sing and play,

But the great meteor came and showered you in the flame,

If you were alive now, would you watch over me, obedient and tame?

Panda,

I know you're still alive but I can't look at you and lie,

Your kingdom is dwindling, bamboo is scarce, and soon you're going to die.

It's up to the San Diego Zoo and little Su Lin to give your race a try,

Black and white, so cute and shy, oh please, oh please, don't go for the world will surely cry.  

Pretty beasts of the pasts,

I know you don't know who I am, 

but, oh, how I know you.

If the world could just give me a chance,

to bring you back,

to let you see how I can love you...

Kiwi, you're breaking my heart, not you too!

-jc del barco ii

likes dead things/likes animals/doesn't feel like going out on a Saturday night.

Another Year Down.

Today is my 22nd birthday. Every year on my birthday, I try to think of what I've learned in the past year to gauge how far along I've come. This year, I'm going public with my conclusions.

Here is a list of what I learned:

1. Whiskey is a great thing.

2. Marc Jacobs is a genius.

3. Manhattans are good on the rocks.

4. It is possible to gain total satisfaction in being good to the people you love.

5. Cardomom, though delicious, should be used sparingly.

6. Fish is better raw.

7. Cuddling is a great thing.

8. People will listen if you speak.

9. People will speak if you listen.

10. Homemade prison tattoo parties are amazing (seriously, tattoo your friends).

11. The stars in the sky will never cease to amaze me.

12. You have to earn death.

13. Shara Worden sings directly into the deepest wells of my heart.

14. There is an innate obligation to humankind. 

15. Hard work is very satisfying.

16. I love wearing dressy clothing.

17. Timing can make or break a wonderful thing.

18. Jens Lekman rocks my morning commute.

19. NPR is the only productive thing to listen to in traffic (save occasional Jens solo rock out sessions)

20. Being angry is much better than being sad.

21. Being kind and warm is much better than being angry.

22. Motivation breeds hope and hope breeds motivation. It is a good cycle.

23. Love isn't a feeling.

24. I have a lot of love to give and plenty of outlets to give it to (thank you friends and family).

25. The earth is an incredible thing.

26. The mind, body, and heart are separate. The heart bullies the mind, and the body taunts both.

27. We will never stop paying for the sins of our fathers.

28. People are good.

29. I don't think I like Novembers anymore.

30. Love will never be enough.

All in all, these are some good practical life lessons I have been blessed to learn early on. I think I'm going to kick this next year's ass. I think I learned alot!

-jc del barco ii

22/growing/still alive!