Wednesday 14 April 2021

The Peanuts Gang Meet ZZ Top

(William) Blake / An Illustrated Quarterly: June 1967 to the present

Published by the Department of English at the University of California in Berkeley CA. Blake/An Illustrated Quarterly is a peer-reviewed scholarly journal devoted to William Blake (1757-1827), the British poet, artist, and engraver, and his circle. They publish articles, notes, and book reviews, as well as two annual features: a review of sales of original works by Blake and his followers, and a checklist of publications and discoveries. 
The mission statement from isue 1 reads:
The idea of having a Blake Newsletter seems to have sprung like Leutha from the head of Satan; I don’t know who can claim paternity. The need seemed suddenly obvious. Much help was given in the early stages by David Erdman, who called a meeting of Blake scholars at the last MLA convention and who also sent out a preliminary announcement. Gerald E. Bentley, Jr. contributed valuable suggestions and prodding. Fred Whitehead[e] sent a list of ongoing Blake projects. There were encouraging letters and contributions from Blake scholars in seven different countries. This modest first issue is the result, and it is now up to you whether the project deserves to be continued. As far as editorial policy is concerned, I think the Newsletter should be just that — not an incipient journal. (Enough are born, even too many, without these arts). It will include announcements, queries, controversy, and notes of special interest to Blake scholars — all of an informal nature (a “family wall-newspaper,” as David Erdman puts it). Regarding work-in-progress, my own inclination is to report on ongoing editorial and bibliographical projects, but not on critical or scholarly studies before they are completed. In that way, I hope to avoid the suggestion of “reserving” subjects. However, I’d like to have readers’ views on this, as well as on other subjects. I’ll undertake to publish issues of the Newsletter on October 15, January 15, and April 15. The subscription price will be two dollars, which will cover the first four issues, including this one. New readers will receive back issues as part of their subscription — any other arrangement would involve book-keeping complications that I’m not able to undertake. The second issue of the Newsletter will be dedicated to S. Foster Damon. Former students and associates of Professor Damon are especially invited to contribute.
There is a five year paywall but all copies previous to that can be read/ downloaded HERE 
The Blake blog 'Hell's Printing Press' is HERE 
A related site 'The William Blake Archive' is wonderful too and contains Blake's paintings, manuscripts, drawings and prints etc. HERE
BONUS: 
Here's The Orckestra (the combined forces of Mike Westbrook's Brass Band & Henry Cow) performing 'Let The Slave' in Modena Italy in September 1977

Tuesday 13 April 2021

Roundtable: Afro/Black and Indigenous Futurisms (10/4/21)

A roundtable discussion with Rasheedah Phillips (A/K/A Moor Mother) of Black Quantum Futurism, Johnnie Jae of A Tribe Called Geek, and DJ Shub, the godfather of PowWowStep, about how artistic work based in Afro/Black and Indigenous Futurisms can envision, mobilize, and grow otherwise worlds. Alisha B. Wormsley, artist and creator of the “There are Black People in the Future” project, moderates the discussion. 
This roundtable is part of the Resound/Revision Festival hosted by the Center for Arts in Society and the Frank-Ratchye STUDIO for Creative Inquiry at Carnegie Mellon University

More information: https://tinyurl.com/4xsf9r9z​ #resoundpgh​
Alisha B. Wormsley: https://alishabwormsley.com
​ Black Quantum Future: https://www.blackquantumfuturism.com
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Monday 12 April 2021

Sonny Simmons R.I.P.

Typical that there is more respect still from say France to the old avant 'guard' of jazzers. Sonny Simmons played with Coltrane's rhythm section Elvin Jones & Jimmy Garrison, Clifford Jordan, Don Cherry and Eric Dolphy amongst many others in the sixties 

Van der Graaf Generator - Godbluff Live (Palais des Expositions de Charleroi, Belgium 27/9/75)

'I’m a person who feels most herself when fully immersed in the world and in order to understand myself I look at things that don’t have anything to do with me' 
Found: Page 25 of the CIA’s Gateway Report on Astral Projection

Widowspeak - Money

The Tao of Shane MacGowan

The FBI win the internet today. No contest

Cheers Norry!
Cave’s cautionary tales

Sunday 11 April 2021

DJ Andy Smith - Punk, New Wave & 2 Tone (1977 - 1980)

All 7" 45's. Great schoolday memories for me!! Tried to play a few you dont hear too much these days (well I don't) - It seemed fitting to have John Lydon at each end too! - I know the real punks will say its not real Punk (but its what we got as spotty 12 year olds!!) - Picture taken outside Virgin records in Bristol (where I would sneak past the punks to buy some of these tunes (& Disco records!!) & play Space Invaders!)

Tresor at 30

LNS / April 9 / 7pm-8pm DJ Sotofett / April 9 / 8pm-9pm HGR / April 9 / 9pm-10pm  
  

Polysexuality

Originally conceived as a special Semiotext(e) issue on homosexuality at the end of the 70s, "Polysexuality" quickly evolved into a more complex and iconoclastic project whose intent was to do away with recognized genders altogether, considered far too limitative. The project landed somewhere between humor, anarchy, science-fiction, utopia and apocalypse. In the few years that it took to put it together, it also evolved from a joyous schizo concept to a darker, neo-Lacanian elaboration on the impossibility of sexuality. The tension between the two, occasionally perceptible, is the theoretical subtext of the issue. Upping the ante on gender distinctions, "Polysexuality" started by blowing wide open all sexual classifications, inventing unheard-of categories, regrouping singular features into often original configurations, like Corporate Sex, Alimentary Sex, Soft or Violent Sex, Discursive Sex, Self- Sex, Animal Sex, Child Sex, Morbid Sex, or Sex of the Gaze. Mixing documents, interviews, fiction, theory, poetry, psychiatry and anthropology, "Polysexuality" became the encyclopedia sexualis of a continent that is still emerging. What it displayed in all its forms could be called, broadly speaking, the Sexuality of Capital. (Actually the issue being rather hot, it was decided to cool it off somewhat by only using "capitals" throughout the issue. It was also the first issue for which we used the computer). The "Polysexuality" issue was attacked in Congress for its alleged advocation of animal sex.Includes work by Alain Robbe-Grillet, Félix Guattari, Paul Verlaine, William S.Burroughs, Georges Bataille, Pierre Klossowski, Roland Barthes, Paul Virilio, Peter Lamborn Wilson, and more

Nick Kent & The Subterraneans - My Flamingo / Veiled Women

One time member of The Subterraneans Chrissie Hynde with then partner Nick Kent  
Not all music journalists looked like Nick Kent back in the day nor did they write and perform songs as good as this and a lot were certainly nowhere in his league when it came to writing about music. Various members of The Damned played gigs with Kent as The Subterraneans but from memory I am pretty certain that Henry Padovani played guitar on this single (checking just then Discogs says he didn't.) The line "like a deaf mute in a phone booth" came from an interview Kent did with Lou Reed I also seem to recall but again my memory may be playing games with me after all this time. Just one other NK related thing, back in 1980 or so he claimed that he also played guitar on The Flaming Groovies 'Slow Death' which was totally denied by Cyril Jordan. Only Dave Edmunds can tell the truth about that... Finally, there is another version of Veiled Women by Hermine Demoriene who was his girlfriend about this time. Her version was on an EP put out by Human Records. I was actually working at Bonaparte in KingX when they released that. (Bonaparte owned Human y'understand) but the last link is that Human's A&R man was Saul Galpern who I had actually gone to school with in Glasgow. He tried very hard trying to make the goth sorry 'positive' punk scene big (Brigandage?!?) but will forever be known for the fact that he signed Simply Red to WEA or whoever...for that alone he should be put against a wall &... 
See what sort of things I keep in my brain...