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Saturday, April 9, 2016
Comedy / What I'm Watching What I'm Watching: Duane Roelands' "Joke Life" Vines
Posted
By Ethan de Seife
on Sat, Apr 9, 2016 at 9:00 AM
Twenty years ago, when I first stumbled across a website that comprehensively listed all of the samples and arcane references on the Beastie Boys’ masterpiece Paul’s Boutique, I remember thinking, Aha! Someone has figured out what to do with this “internet” thing!
I know Paul’s Boutique backwards and forwards, and for years have marveled at and puzzled over its array of funky, witty samples. The album’s producers, the fabled Dust Brothers, plucked basslines from the Eagles, single guitar notes from Mountain and scads of musical and verbal ephemera from decades of American music, television and film. The album remains a remarkable achievement. But, as enjoyable as it is, Paul’s Boutique is also incredibly densely layered, its musical fragments and obscure name-checks fairly begging the listener to unpack them.
I know Paul’s Boutique backwards and forwards, and for years have marveled at and puzzled over its array of funky, witty samples. The album’s producers, the fabled Dust Brothers, plucked basslines from the Eagles, single guitar notes from Mountain and scads of musical and verbal ephemera from decades of American music, television and film. The album remains a remarkable achievement. But, as enjoyable as it is, Paul’s Boutique is also incredibly densely layered, its musical fragments and obscure name-checks fairly begging the listener to unpack them.
Tuesday, April 5, 2016
Art Design Week Awards: Vermont's Got Talent
Posted
By Rachel Elizabeth Jones
on Tue, Apr 5, 2016 at 12:47 PM
Vermont's second Design Week kicked off at UVM's Fleming Museum of Art last night with the Vermont Design Awards and the AIGA Vermont Design Fellow Award. The latter honor was presented to Lyn Severance of Harvey|Severance Design, who is perhaps most recognized through her original work crafting the identity of Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream.
Design Week is an initiative of the Vermont chapter of the American Institute of Graphic Arts. The week's events include a short-run Josef Albers exhibition, a letterpress workshop and more. According to president Jeffrey Harkness, the chapter has approximately 125 members.
Introducing Severance, Ben Cohen of Ben & Jerry's credited the designer with essentially saving the then-fledgling company. Cohen cited the New York Times recognition of the "high-touch" (versus high-tech) appeal of Ben & Jerry's, which he said was in large part thanks to Severance's ability to translate their conversations into a unique visual style and to develop "this fine line of childlike sophistication; chic funk," he said.
Design Week is an initiative of the Vermont chapter of the American Institute of Graphic Arts. The week's events include a short-run Josef Albers exhibition, a letterpress workshop and more. According to president Jeffrey Harkness, the chapter has approximately 125 members.
Introducing Severance, Ben Cohen of Ben & Jerry's credited the designer with essentially saving the then-fledgling company. Cohen cited the New York Times recognition of the "high-touch" (versus high-tech) appeal of Ben & Jerry's, which he said was in large part thanks to Severance's ability to translate their conversations into a unique visual style and to develop "this fine line of childlike sophistication; chic funk," he said.
Monday, April 4, 2016
Museums Talking Science With Montshire Museum's Marcos Stafne
Posted
By Ethan de Seife
on Mon, Apr 4, 2016 at 8:35 AM
This month marks Marcos Stafne’s first anniversary as director of Norwich’s Montshire Museum of Science. Since relocating to White River Junction from New York City, where he was vice president of programs and visitor experience at the venerable Brooklyn Children’s Museum, Stafne, 38, has put down Upper Valley roots.
In Vermont, he's already become known for his outgoing engagement with the community. Stafne's lively online essays, collectively titled “Marcos at the Montshire,” reveal him as an inquisitive polymath who loves to guide people along the path of science education.
A glance at Stafne’s résumé — which includes a four-year stint at Manhattan’s Rubin Museum of Art and an extensive background in theater — does not immediately suggest a passion for science. Yet the “throughline” of his extensive museum career is an idea that Stafne proposes in one of his essays: “Science is an ADVENTURE.”
Saturday, April 2, 2016
Art SEABA Brands the South End, on Its Buildings
Posted
By Rachel Elizabeth Jones
on Sat, Apr 2, 2016 at 9:17 AM
Come springtime, it's going to be a lot easier to identify Burlington's South End Arts District — because many of the zone's buildings will bear a new identifying logo.
South End Arts and Business Association director Adam Brooks explained by phone that the organization completed a rebranding assessment at the beginning of this year. The intention, he said, was "finding out how we can
better inform visitors and residents that there's actually an arts district in the city of Burlington." The undertaking was aided by SEABA board member Chris Webster of Select Design.
Currently, five buildings have committed to bearing the new insignia: the Soda Plant, Conant Metal & Light, Dealer.com, the Howard properties and the Maltex Building.
"This is our way to — with the support of local businesses and property owners — create a sense of place, and do it on our own, control the look and the feel and do something positive for this community," said Brooks. "The property owners and businesses have been very supportive of the concept."
SEABA hopes that at least 15 buildings will feature the district stamp by Art Hop time in September. The organization's "identity deck" allows for slight variations between two designs, and a few different colors.
What I'm Watching What I'm Watching: Westworld
Posted
By Ethan de Seife
on Sat, Apr 2, 2016 at 9:11 AM
Only upon sitting down to write this column did I learn of the upcoming HBO series “Westworld,” a star-studded affair that’s based on Michael Crichton’s 1973 film of the same name. I’m surprised that this semi-corny, semi-obscure movie was deemed worthy of having its narrative world expanded. But it also makes a certain amount of sense.
I just watched the original film, and its story promises more than it delivers. I can see how others — like the show’s creators, Lisa Joy and Jonathan “Christopher’s brother” Nolan; and its executive producer, J.J. Abrams — would want to expand on a potentially fascinating narrative universe that never realized its original potential.
I just watched the original film, and its story promises more than it delivers. I can see how others — like the show’s creators, Lisa Joy and Jonathan “Christopher’s brother” Nolan; and its executive producer, J.J. Abrams — would want to expand on a potentially fascinating narrative universe that never realized its original potential.
Friday, April 1, 2016
April Fools! Bernie Sanders to Record New Folk Album, 'Birdsongs' (April Fools!)
Posted
By Dan Bolles
on Fri, Apr 1, 2016 at 4:02 AM
Update: Happy April Fools' Day!
Presidential candidate Bernie Sanders is going back to the studio.
In a recent phone call with Seven Days from Sheboygan, Wisc., Sanders' arts, culture and youth-vote manager Luis Calderin confirmed rumors that the Vermont senator is planning to record a follow-up to his 1987 folk and spoken-word album, We Shall Overcome. He also offered details on the project, which is tentatively titled We Shall Overcome 2: Birdsongs.
"It's basically an updated take on the concept of the first record," explained Calderin. He added that Todd Lockwood, the Burlington recording engineer who produced the original album, will be brought in as an adviser to the project, but that it will be recorded by Jer Coons and Eric Maier of Burlington label Future Fields. Calderin said the project has attracted some of Sanders' high-profile musician supporters, including rapper Killer Mike, songwriter Jackson Browne and indie-rock band Vampire Weekend, all of whom will appear on the album.
Presidential candidate Bernie Sanders is going back to the studio.
In a recent phone call with Seven Days from Sheboygan, Wisc., Sanders' arts, culture and youth-vote manager Luis Calderin confirmed rumors that the Vermont senator is planning to record a follow-up to his 1987 folk and spoken-word album, We Shall Overcome. He also offered details on the project, which is tentatively titled We Shall Overcome 2: Birdsongs.
"It's basically an updated take on the concept of the first record," explained Calderin. He added that Todd Lockwood, the Burlington recording engineer who produced the original album, will be brought in as an adviser to the project, but that it will be recorded by Jer Coons and Eric Maier of Burlington label Future Fields. Calderin said the project has attracted some of Sanders' high-profile musician supporters, including rapper Killer Mike, songwriter Jackson Browne and indie-rock band Vampire Weekend, all of whom will appear on the album.
April Fools! City of Burlington Appeases Digital Natives, Adds Emoji Translation (April Fools!)
Posted
By Sadie Williams
on Fri, Apr 1, 2016 at 4:01 AM
Update: Happy April Fools' Day!
Visit the webpage for the city of Burlington and you might notice a small button in the top right corner that says "Select Language." The feature allows you to translate the website into more than a hundred languages, from Afrikaans to Zulu. But starting Monday, a new language will be added to that list: emoji.
That's right. In an effort to cater to the ever-expanding population of digital natives, the mayor's office has decided to take the plunge into what they call "modern hieroglyphics."
Visit the webpage for the city of Burlington and you might notice a small button in the top right corner that says "Select Language." The feature allows you to translate the website into more than a hundred languages, from Afrikaans to Zulu. But starting Monday, a new language will be added to that list: emoji.
That's right. In an effort to cater to the ever-expanding population of digital natives, the mayor's office has decided to take the plunge into what they call "modern hieroglyphics."
April Fools! NEK Chronicler Howard Frank Mosher: 'Vermont and I Are Done' (April Fools!)
Posted
By Margot Harrison
on Fri, Apr 1, 2016 at 4:00 AM
Updated: Happy April Fools' Day!
Howard Frank Mosher's name is virtually synonymous with Vermont fiction. Over several decades, the 73-year-old Irasburg author has written 11 novels set at least partially in the state's Northeast Kingdom. In a Seven Days profile last fall, reporter Mark Davis called Mosher "the region's most articulate spokesman and beloved chronicler" — a title few would dispute.
Now Mosher says it's time for a change of pace. And place.
Howard Frank Mosher's name is virtually synonymous with Vermont fiction. Over several decades, the 73-year-old Irasburg author has written 11 novels set at least partially in the state's Northeast Kingdom. In a Seven Days profile last fall, reporter Mark Davis called Mosher "the region's most articulate spokesman and beloved chronicler" — a title few would dispute.
Now Mosher says it's time for a change of pace. And place.
April Fools! Vermont Arts Council to Get Unprecedented Funding (April Fools!)
Posted
By Pamela Polston
on Fri, Apr 1, 2016 at 4:00 AM
Update: Happy April Fools' Day!
Alex Aldrich opened a mysterious certified letter yesterday afternoon and got the shock of a lifetime. The Vermont Arts Council executive director told Seven Days he stared at the page for several minutes in disbelief. "I thought it was an April Fools prank," he said.
But no. The letter, from the National Endowment for the Arts, announced that it was allocating all $119 million of its annual funding budget to the VAC (minus $30 mill for administrative costs). Of course, a large string was attached: The Vermont office would have responsibility for dispersing the money to arts programs and agencies across all 50 states, plus seven territories and six regional agencies, Aldrich explained.
Alex Aldrich opened a mysterious certified letter yesterday afternoon and got the shock of a lifetime. The Vermont Arts Council executive director told Seven Days he stared at the page for several minutes in disbelief. "I thought it was an April Fools prank," he said.
But no. The letter, from the National Endowment for the Arts, announced that it was allocating all $119 million of its annual funding budget to the VAC (minus $30 mill for administrative costs). Of course, a large string was attached: The Vermont office would have responsibility for dispersing the money to arts programs and agencies across all 50 states, plus seven territories and six regional agencies, Aldrich explained.
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