US premiere of last year’s “Cendre” (see top albums of 2007). Sorry for the low quality shots. The iPhone has a way to go if it wants to unseat Verizon’s stellar Startac line.

Just outside, passer-byers sense the excitement inside:

The restless crowd:

Is Bono and the Edge playing tonight? No, it’s Fennesz and Sakamoto.

Sakamoto’s Yacht (filled with ice-cold Miller Genuine Drafts for the after-party):

Fennesz’s Yacht (I was told, “only women are allowed on this vessel”) :

Just on the other side of the NYMEX:

Needs no introduction…

Astute CCROW Network readers will have noticed the new Ed Ruscha artwork adorning the fun “splash” page. He’s definitely one of my personal favorite artists (though he’s constantly ripping off CCROW Network’s unique style). I suppose they say: “imitation is the sincerest form of flattery”. To that I say, “stop stealing my style Ruscha – it ain’t cool.”

More Ruscha (coincidently both pre-dating ccrow.net and the internet as we know it):

Brother sister, 1987:

Every Building on the Sunset Strip, 1966:

There’s been tons of emails rolling into CCROW Networks (on good days, we’re talking three hundred emails – literally kilobytes of data) requesting music recommendations – reflecting society’s thirst for something new. In fact, many bear demanding tones laced with harsh language – hearkening my generation’s “give us something for nothing” mentality.

I’m not saying Mariah Carey’s latest record “E=MC^2” isn’t a fine piece of work, but it’s an obvious recommendation and everyone already owns it anyway. To pacify those looking for something more, I bring two album suggestions from the group “Growing” (more recommendations to follow).

Lateral [The Social Registry, 2008]:

Vision Swim [Troubleman Unlimited, 2007]:

Not necessarily for the faint of heart [insert offensive Tim Russert joke here]. From Dusted Magazine:

“What starts with a desire to retreat from the transparency of unadorned instrumental performance or the perceived narrow geometry of rock often ends in a haze of delay and fuzz.”

An article on my second home:

In Princeton, an Offline Haven for Music Shoppers Thrives

My favorite excerpts:

“A lot of people who come here are obsessed,” said Mr. Weisfeld, a resolutely low-tech guy wearing an incongruous orange Yahoo! cap.

Mr. Weisfeld, 54, got his start, after graduating from the University of Hartford in 1975, on the road, selling LPs at 27 campuses, from Dartmouth College in New Hampshire south to American University in Washington. He slept in his Chevy van and showered at the school gyms before they had morphed into high-security, high-end health emporiums.

I. Panda Bear – Person Pitch [Paw Tracks]

Unquestionably the album of the year for me. I have no idea how many times I’ve listened to this, but it still hasn’t gone stale. Upbeat, but never cheesy and unoriginal. Theoretically, it’s possible not to like this album (I’m thinking someone along the lines of Donald Rumsfeld / Martha Stewart), but I hope to never come across that person.

II. Tim Hecker: Norberg [Room40]

There is no stopping this man. Short, sweet, to the point.

III. Christian Fennesz + Ryuuichi Sakamoto – Cendre [Touch Tone 32]

Two masters at work. Essentially, a ‘solo piano’ album with a contemporary twist. This album has really grown on me – each listen it just gets better. While the piano takes center stage, there’s a lot going on behind the scenes, and ultimately, this is what makes this album stand out. Plus, Fennesz is involved, so by default, it makes the list. Best at loud volumes.

IV. Gavin Bryars & Alter Ego & Philip Jeck – The Sinking Of The Titanic [Touch Tone 34]

One track, ~72 minutes. Gavin Bryars’ seminal work gets a contemporary update with the help of Philip Jeck. Yes, it’s as good as you’d expect. No, it has nothing to do with the Hollywood movie.

Other Noteworthy Favorites:

BJ Nilsen – The Short Night [Touch]

Alva Noto – Xerrox Vol. 1 [Raster-Noton]

Axolotl – Memory Theatre [Important]

Taylor Deupree + Christopher Willits – Listening Garden [Line]

Animal Collective – Strawberry Jam [Domino USA]

William Basinski – El Camino Real [2062]

The Field – From Here We Go Sublime [Kompakt]

Wzt Hearts – Threads Rope Spell Making Your Bones [Carpark Records]

The Shins – Wincing the Night Away [Sub-Pop]

Beirut – The Flying Club Cup [4AD]

Pjusk – Sart [12k]

Ateleia – Formal Sleep [Xeric]

Christopher Willits – Plants And Hearts [Room40]

Favorite Singles:

Machinefabriek – Kruimeldief (Machinefabriek Remixed) – Alvo Noto (Remix)
Tujiko Noriko – Solo – “Magic”
Animal Collective – Strawberry Jam – “Peacebone”
Animal Collective – Strawberry Jam – “Fireworks”
M.I.A. – “Paper Planes (Remix) Feat. Bun B & Rich Boy” *
Interpol – “Wrecking Ball”
Interpol – “Lighthouse”
Iron & Wine – “Lovesong of the Buzzard”
LCD Soundsystem – “Someone Great”
LCD Soundsystem – “All My Friends”
Sandro Perri and Friends – “The Drums (from the forthcoming Mirrors CD) ” [European Tour CD-R]
Sandro Perri and Friends – “Dreaming (double suicide live 2007) ” [European Tour CD-R]
Sun Kil Moon – “Salvador Sanchez (Acoustic)” [Ghosts of the Great High Bonus Disc]

* CCROW Networks does not necessary condone the message of this song, nor does it advocate one should “get their Robin Hood on”. Instead, one should apply Adam Smith’s Invisible Hand when applicable.

Best Concerts:

Alva Noto @ The Kitchen, NYC.

Panda Bear + Scott Mou @ Bowery Ballroom, NYC.

Geoff Mullen @ The Issue Project Room, NYC.

Really no surprise that I’d recommend this classic. Well worth revisiting…

One of my favorite Apestaartje releases (from way back in 2003). Flawless. Never gets old.

I’ve found no other director nearly as inspirational as Antonioni. What a loss. At least we still have Michael Bay. Right?

Sorry for the lack of updates lately (new job + relocation + new clean linux desktop install + final-round contestant on dancing with the stars). I know the fans of CCROW Networks are relentless and quite demanding; in light of this fact, I will attempt to make up for the weeks of silence with the following music recommendations:

I. Fennesz/Sakamoto: Cendre [Touch]

(Full disclosure: I’ve been waiting for this album for over a year)

This is a no-brainer. An album that gets richer through each listen. Sakamoto’s delicate piano with Fennesz’s ambient laptop/processed guitar dabbling. Completely different aesthetic from the Alva Noto/Sakamoto collaboration.

II. Taylor Deupree: Landing [Room40]

Great label, great artist. A short ambient number spread over three tracks. It’s over before you know it (in a good way), which is probably the exact intent.

III. Machinefabriek: Weleer [Lampse Audiovisual Recordings]

This album is all over the place sonically, yet maintains a certain consistency – not easy to pull-off. Machinefabriek has quickly become one of my favorite artists (just learned of him last year); his music is typically a noisy affair fused with melody. An easy recommendations to those fans of Tim Hecker, Fennesz, Belong, etc.

IV. Interpol: Antics [Matador] (Bonus Hot97 Throw-back from 2004)

OK, you probably already own this album, have listened to it 50+ times and have seen them in concert six times. However, it’s time to get excited again since their next album is coming out soon. I still prefer Turn On The Bright Lights (it’s one of my favorite indie albums of all-time), but Antics has great moments. I’m continually impressed by how these guys maintain artistic integrity even as their popularity sky-rockets.

V. Idaho: The Lone Gunman [Idaho Music]

It may seem a bit random (and it is), but this is an underrated album that deserves more attention. It’s also a good summer album.

This is, hands down, one of the best documents of modern (post-1950) art I’ve come across. It’s a series of five lengthy lectures with accompanying photographs of the referenced art. The lectures attempt to answer some of the most critical/fundamental issues surrounding abstract art: Why abstract art? Why is it relevant? Is it a joke?

These complex, lofty questions are tackled with grace and precision. Highly recommended to those who love abstract art, and especially recommended to those who “don’t get it”.

I bought the following items today from a used book sale. All the proceeds go to Bryn-Mawr and Wellesley. The prices in ( ) are approximate market value of the books on Amazon. The prices in [ ] are what I paid.

Please note the “CRC Concise Encyclopedia of Mathematics” book. As some know, this is ~1950 pages of raw insanity. Some advice: if you go to someone’s house and you see this on their shelf, run immediately. The woman at the check-out counter read the title and jokingly said, “Wow, people really don’t know the meaning of ‘concise’.” To that I quipped, “Or the breadth of mathematics.” ZING!

I was very pleased to come across “Counterpoint“, which has been on my list for ages. I also saw a first edition of Hofstadter’s, “Godel, Escher, Bach: An Eternal Golden Braid“. I was going to buy it just out of respect, but then came to my senses as an old man snatched in front of me.

Today I learned the median age at used book sales is approximately 100 years old. Thus, younger folk have distinct advantages: they can swiftly navigate through people/aisles and can lift/carry a far greater number of books per unit of time (in theory – however, those guys at the math table provide ripe counterexamples, DOUBLE ZING!). I’ll have to cool my jets while you browse the reading list:

Math:

Language, Proof and Logic, by Jon Barwise, John Etchemendy. (56) [2]

Zero: The Biography of a Dangerous Idea, by Charles Seife. (16) [2]

Prentice-Hall Encyclopedia of Mathematics, by Beverly Henderson West, et al. (5) [4]

CRC Concise Encyclopedia of Mathematics, First Edition, by Eric W. Weisstein. (2nd ed: $132) [20]

Music:

Counterpoint, by Walter Piston. (43) [5]

Economics:

The General Theory of Employment, Interest, and Money, by John Maynard Keynes, First Ed., 1964. (~10) [2]

The Wealth of Nations, by Adam Smith, The Library of Liberal Arts, with intro from Bruce Mazlish. (~10) [1]

Art:

Guggenheim Museum Collection: A to Z (Guggenheim Museum Publications), by Nancy Spector. (5) [8]

A Short Guide to Writing About Art (The Short Guide Series), by Sylvan Barnet. (38) [5]

Movements in Art Since 1945, by Edward Lucie-Smith. (12) [9]

Primer of Visual Literacy, by Donis A. Dondis. (20) [2]

American Art of the 20th Century: Painting, Sculpture, Architecture, by Sam Hunter, John M. Jacobus. (2) [6]

Modern Art: Painting, Sculpture, Architecture, by Sam Hunter, John Jacobus, 1976 Ed. (3rd Ed, 34) [12]

History of Modern Art: Painting, Sculpture, Architecture, by H. H. Arnason. (5th Ed 69) [3]

Architecture:

American Architecture and Urbanism, by Vincent Joseph Scully. (6) [5]

I’m going to have to go ahead and give this new album a recommendation before even hearing it because (i) it’s Alva Noto and (ii) it’s Alva Noto. There’s a fairly lengthy project description over at Raster-Noton.

UPDATE: I just heard three samples of the album and it’s surprisingly similar to the work of William Basinski (i.e., it sounds awesome).