Stay in the shade
I’m reading Everett True’s fascinating insight into the muddled world of Kurt Cobain and Nirvana at the moment and what rings the loudest (apart from, no doubt, the ears of anyone who caught them play) is that the whole grunge thing exploded at just the right time – for the musicians, for the punters, and for the record labels. Heck, before Cobain and his cohorts came along we were being force-fed MC Hammer in balloon pants. In just the same way that Manchester and Liverpool and New York and Sheffield have spurned great eras in music – only for those eras to run their course and shift direction – so too did Seattle. Only with more volume. And more hair. For all his flaws (and like all of us, there were many), Cobain was a truly complicated character, a hybrid of ideas and ideals, tortured by success yet craving it nonetheless. Sure he’s been mythologized to a large extent but, then again, so have all of the ’27′ club. Nirvana defined a movement. They gave the slacker generation a voice. And while Cobain’s lyrics apparently meant little to him at the time they were written. I’m sure Tori Amos, and countless others, would disagree with him now about their potency.
Tagged: grunge music
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Nirvana destroy Top Of The Pops
Following on from Michael Lavine’s seminal portrait of Kurt and Courtney for the cover of Sassy! [pssst, he also took the photo for the Nevermind album cover], we got the inside word from British music journalist, and infamous Nirvana bedfellow (in the least literal sense of the word), Everett True on Kurt, Courtney, and those damn persistent rumors: ‘No, I don’t believe he was murdered. I don’t particularly go into this in my most recent Nirvana book — partly through lack of time, partly through lack of interest — but let’s view it this way. Examine any event that has happened in the past, however trivial, and discrepancies will appear. 9/11. John F Kennedy. The death of Princess Diana. The fact my cat had to be put down at the age of sixteen. Why I forgot to take my iPod to London this morning. All of these could be contested, violently and with real — and valid — opinion. That’s because history does not exist except in books. Suicide is particularly ripe for innuendo: after all, the only person who can tell you what really happened is — er — dead. Still. I have nothing against conspiracy theories, especially if they’re fun’. Read more
Thanks to our friends at Madman, we have eight copies of the Kurt Cobain documentary, About A Son, to give away to randomly selected Lost At E Minor subscribers. Read more
UK music journalist Everett True comes from the Nick Kent school of writing: live the life and hope to come out the other end with one hell of a story. And he has. In this case, the story of Kurt Cobain and Nirvana. In this exclusive piece, he talks about his association with Seattle’s finest and his friendship with the perennially troublesome Courtney Love. Read more
Also by ZOLTON
Maths explains the origin of superhero characters
I love the colours and simple reasoning in this clever series by Scottish illustrator Matt Cowen, which uses basic maths equations to explain how certain pop culture icons came to be. Read more
Star Wars Uncut: a fully crowdsourced version of Episode IV
The project of creative technologist, Casey Pugh, this full length version of the George Lucas masterpiece was created from multiple 15 second segments recreated from the original movie and submitted by thousands of Star Wars fans, which were then spliced together by editor Aaron Valdez to form the final product. Genius, as both a commentary on contemporary pop culture trends (there are references to LEGO, stop motion, memes and the like) and on the power of tapping your audience for quality material.
Filmmaker creates LEGO stop motion to propose to girlfriend
Now, this is one for the ages: back in 2010, Atlanta film-maker Walter Thompson created a jaw-dropping LEGO stop motion to propose to Nealey Dozier, his girlfriend of four years. The video took 22 hours of shooting and some 2,600 pictures to splice together, a small sacrifice to pay for years of happiness together. Right? Right! Oh, and she said yes. Bonus.
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Martin and Youle are British artists now based in Nantes, France. I got to know them through Hot Chip (Bevis is Felix Martin’s brother) and Charlie designed the cover for my first single (Nitemoves/Wallflowers). There’s a sense of play in their pieces, especially Pythagoras Table. I love the way they work with objects and expand on our assumed perceptions.
As a fan of art and classic pop culture, I’d like to bring Sebastian Krueger to as many people’s attention as I can. He treats the faces of aging rock stars like they are rugged landscapes. Both fluid and precise, his paintings have the natural beauty and depth of the Grand Canyon. Read more
This clip had such an impact on me when it first came out, back in the day. There’s just something so poignant about the idea that some people you pass on the street everyday have a little bit more insight into their world — our world — than we could ever imagine. It’s beautiful and confronting, and it’s all set to the most wonderfully evocative music.
The urban planning for Dubai increasingly has the city looking more and more like a still out of a Jetsens episode. The futuristic architecture that charcterises its evolution is pushing the boundaries of design, the buildings climbing ever upwards with their blindingly original facades. Apparently Dubai is home to between 15 and 25 percent of the world’s 125,000 construction cranes, which is hardly surprising. This image above is a sneak preview of how the famed Dubai waterfront will look in a few years time.
My friend and fine artist Sara Wolfe sent me this link of Chicago based artist Diego Leclery. He created this flash animation Panda, to celebrate the recent Beijing Olympics. He initially said he would take it down after the closing ceremony, but it is still up, so watch this cool one before it’s gone!
The incendiary energy of Canadian quartet, Tokyo Police Club is electric. We caught up with keyboardist, Graham Wright. Read more
If zombies had no teeth, maybe it wouldn’t be so bad to have our body parts in their mouths. These plush zombie slippers simulate that very experience.
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Never ever, ever, ever, ever park here
Some friendly advice for the neighbours, who simply don’t get it, or street art? You decide which one it is.
Michelle Blade’s psychedelic artwork
Michelle Blade’s washed out paintings are deceptively simple, her washy acrylics creating psychedelic textures and conjuring ghostly figures from the past. Read more
Communication prosthesis by Sascha Nordmeyer
This ‘communication prosthesis’ by designer Sascha Nordmeyer is hilarious and awesome. I want to wear one to a job interview.
Mathematics? Leave me out. Fashematics? Now you’re talking! This gem of a site is a runway equation that adds up to a whole lot of wonderful.
Pencils made from recycled newspaper
The problem with awesome things like these pencils made out of recycled newspaper is that you almost don’t want to use them.
On this Virgin Mary HaloTech watch, the dial is a modern version of the nineteenth century art form of lithophanes, carved porcelain sheets that, when lit, deliver astoundingly detailed images. When the pusher is activated, the dial springs to life in 3D. The watch features a light-up dial, LED light, and afterglo effect. Read more
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