Come on out, Denver (and its environs). And by all means, repost.
Come on out, Denver (and its environs). And by all means, repost.
I just posted my first RECord! It’s a spoken word piece about my tumultuous relationship with my iPhone. Check it out, engage with it, add something to it, etc…
Jason Stocker, my oldest friend in the world – I remember, in kindergarden, looking for him on the playground for a sense of familiarity – is releasing his second record on May 21. It was produced by another long-time friend, Ben Wysocki (The Fray). On May 17, Jason will be playing a record release show in the Denver area. And I’ll be opening the night up (as La Commission). This record means a lot to me. Besides playing on it, I created the artwork for the physical CDs (vinyl probably isn’t happening with this one). All that to say… if you can join us, that’d be lovely. More details on the shows page.
“The early rounds of American Idol feature inappropriate contestants with little or no talent who are intentionally let through the cattle call weeding process. This represents an ugly and compelling entertainment spectacle that allows viewers to enjoy the drama of a few elite upper class celebrities verbally torturing some unfortunate neurotic caught in their web. These early scenes are job interviews designed to go horribly wrong. The hopeless contestants seem to deserve this fate because their grotesquely delusional overestimation of their talents and complete lack of understanding of what is expected of them by their prospective employers violates some primal sentiment of self-preservation in us. What they are really being punished for is not a lack of talent. They are being punished for being socially maladapted. Sadistic spectators at a ritual enforcement of conformity, we enjoy watching these sickly deer being culled from the herd. In the later rounds, when we root for the talented underdogs who have made it through the culling process, our sentiment shifts: now we’re thrilled at someone else’s success. But we’re also connecting with our own desire to sell out. Can this person hold on to a vestige of their humanity and individuality while achieving the extreme-sports version of selling out? American Idol openly and engagingly celebrates the triumph of commercialism over art. As viewers, we are rooting for the corporate machine that manufactures these celebrities as much as for the contestants themselves.” —
KILLER KARAOKE: Reality Television and the Death of the American Middle Class | Press Play
Please go and read this extremely intelligent take on how reality tv contest shows reflect the conditions of our awful economy.
(via perpetua)(via themadeshop)
Dave Grohl South By Southwest (SXSW) 2013 Keynote Speech in Full -
This is worth your time, art makers.
(via wenbysocki)
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self portrait.
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[video]
We got a show coming up in San Francisco with the famed Bible Dusters. We’ll be singing some bluegrass/gospel versions of Christmas music for y’all. I’ll also sing some really sad songs that I wrote. Hope you can make it.
(Source: thelostchurch.com)
My band, La Commission just released a new record today. Please find it and listen. It sounds best on vinyl by the way.
Just A Closer Walk With Thee -
I played my first LA show a couple nights back and made a new friend, Noah. He had a really big (which I assume also means expensive) camera with lights and everything. I tried to explain I’m no one of interest, but he kept on filming. Here’s a piece of what he caught. For more of this fine man’s work, check out angryyoungandbored.com.
Keep watching LaCommission.com. Things will be happening soonly.
Derek Webb, my friend and producer of my new 7”, released his new record today via his website (a full month before its retail release). It’s called #Ctrl and it’s quite fantastic. I highly recommend you get it and spread the word. And if you’d like to be convinced, he’s giving away 3 songs here.
