Highbrow, lowbrow, I tend to veer from one extreme to the other in my entertainment and inspiration. Tonight I've been reading poetry and thinking about the 'serious' writing I would like to do, and instead, here I find myself blogging.
I mentioned seeing David Dondero at Noise Pop a few weeks ago, but I didn't mention how amazing some of his newest songs are. There was one that struck me in particular, inspired by his visit to the Rothko Chapel in Houston, Texas.
The Rothko Chapel is "an intimate sanctuary available to people of
every belief. A modern meditative environment inspired by the
paintings of American abstract expressionist Mark Rothko." [Read more]
As if it wasn't cool enough to have written a song inspired by a multi-faith chapel strewn with pigment-soaked monolithic modern art, he threw a little nod to jazz in there too. In the song he repeated, verbatim, a quote by Charlie Parker:
"If you don't live it, it won't come out of your horn."
My friend David Dondero can be quiet in person, certainly eccentric at times, but he is living it. His art is the type of true that is elemental.
And because I can never just post about one Team Love artist at a time, start the countdown for Tilly and the Wall's 2nd album, Bottoms of Barrels, which comes out on 5/23. Nyla and I saw them at SXSW and were completely dazzled and delighted. There sure is a lot of glitter and glee and tap-dancing, but focus in on the lyrics and melodies and you'll find a serious serious side to Tilly.
This record is going to floor you. Pre-order it and get a free seven inch, whee!
Listen to Tilly and the Wall's "Bad Education"
