Let Them Sing It For You

I was looking at someone’s Twitter feed (no, I don’t actually have my own Twitter) and I found this: Let them sing it for you. The beauty of Twitter, eh?

How it works is you type in text, click the play button, and it is sung. The lyrics/song can be emailed as well. I’ve played around with it a bit and it’s kind of fun, but sometimes how the words are sung aren’t entirely my style – it doesn’t seem to recognize popular song lyrics either, judging by how they’re sung.

Those who are interested in checking it out can go here.

Art Decade

I’d never seen this picture before until today when I saw it on Flickr.

Two more pics of the same nature can be seen here and here.

If these photos are in fact authentic, i.e. DB wasn’t Photoshopped against an op art background, consider them rare upon rare. He’s apparently in Victor Vasarely’s workshop in France, circa 1977.

Blackout

"The Same Swords", Austin Kleon

While there are several ways to approach writing poetry, Austin Kleon does it with a newspaper and permanent marker. He blacks out the words he doesn’t need. It’s cut-ups noir – but at the same time, it isn’t cut-ups. There are no scissors involved.

“Part “writing with constrictions,” part happy accident, part found art, part design challenge…the collection…gives a well rounded and consistent view into a guy most of us would want to buy a beer.” – Radio Exile, Common Materials: Austin Kleon

His new book, Newspaper Blackout, includes a section on how to make one’s own blackout poems as well as his poetry. He’s also done workshops or classes on how to do this form of poetry. However, though I haven’t read his book or attended one of those classes, all one needs is a newspaper and black marker so I don’t really see the purpose of having a how-to section for that, as it relies more or less on intuition. That’s how it’s kind of like cut-ups in that regard.

That being said, I’m not dissing it though. I like this form of poetry and think it’s pretty cool. I’m off now in search of a newspaper no one’s reading, armed with a black permanent marker.

More Info:

Austin Kleon (website)

Newspaper Blackout: A Book by Austin Kleon

Bowie Art: Caricature

This came to my attention only this morning. A set on Flickr, The Thin White Sketchbook, has a collection of sketches people, including esteemed music video director Michel Gondry, have made of David Bowie. As much as I love DB and his music, I’ve never attempted to sketch him.

Here are some of my faves:

David Bowie by Geoff Grogan

David Bowie and Mick Ronson, 1973

From the Ziggy/Aladdin Sane period, I like DB’s diamond-patterned jacket, it looks so retro! Possibly even unisex…now, someone just needs to call in a designer. [edit] Plus, I think one could wear it on the street and look totally chic and fashionable, without feeling awkward or self-conscious – very wearable for out and about on the street (click to view image), unlike some of his other attire (usually stage) from back then.

David Bowie by Michel Gondry

David Bowie by Matt Kindt

From an unfinished David Bowie comic

This one isn’t from the set, but I’ve included it anyway. Depiction of David Bowie in 1976 on the Station to Station tour; notice the projection of the surrealist film Un Chien Andalou (famous for the depiction of a razor blade cutting into an eyeball) in the background.

Thirty Years Ago Today: “John, I’m Only Dancing (Again)”

Today marks the thirtieth anniversary of the release of the single “John, I’m Only Dancing (Again)”, recorded during the Young Americans sessions at Sigma Sound Studios in Philadelphia but not released until 1979. Funk-influenced, it was a re-recording of the 1972 album-less single “John, I’m Only Dancing”, with some similarities in sound to “Stay” (from Station to Station). From Bowienet:

Perhaps it’s not easy to imagine in these days of bonus CDs of extra tracks and previously unreleased versions, etc., just how big a deal the release of John I’m Only Dancing (Again) was to the Bowie faithful, in December 1979.

Aside from the fact that the record was Bowie’s very first UK 12″ 45, John I’m Only Dancing (Again) was legendary among fans aware of the song’s existence, but who hadn’t actually heard it until this release.

The track seemed to have evaded bootleggers and this release provided the full length version, (along with an edited version for the UK 7″) not to mention a new mix of the original Ziggy Stardust sessions version of John I’m Only Dancing. [12.07.09, read more]

The version of the single recorded during the Young Americans session has little similarity to the original, with only the chorus intact, and spans up to 7 minutes.  It’s made its way on to a remastered release of Young Americans (album only on iTunes, by the way). The song was also performed live on a few occasions during the course of the Diamond Dogs/Philly Dogs soul tour but as of yet hasn’t been officially released.

“John, I’m Only Dancing (Again)” single release

“John, I’m Only Dancing (Again)” live, Philly Dogs Tour 1974

In addition to this, there are also the original 1972 single and a remix recorded around the same time that would come to be known as the Sax Version.

John, I’m Only Dancing (1972, Mick Rock-directed music video)

John, I’m Only Dancing (Sax Version) – play for the audio, don’t pay attention to the bad visual quality.