Happy Independence Day :)

Allison Crowe, live, with a tune and message from the great American topical songwriter Phil Ochs” “When I’m Gone”.

Happy Independence Day, everyone, and a special shout-out to all our dear friends in the USA who are celebrating this July 4th weekend.

Here’s to joy and peace :)

Photos by the wonderful Billie Woods.

Running for Home

The great parade of life has its midway, sideshows and more represented in art.

Under music’s big top, Canadian musician Matthew Good, with co-writer Dave Genn, exposes the carney heart in “Running for Home” (originally released on the Matt Good Band’s 1999 album "Beautiful Midnight".

Running for Home from Allison Crowe on Vimeo.

Allison Crowe’s solo performance of this song is soundtrack here to “Circus”, sixth of seven dream sequences comprising “Dreams That Money Can Buy” - Hans Richter’s 1947 surrealist film. This dream includes appearances by several of Alexander Calder’s wire+ creations.

Calder (1898- 1976), the American sculptor who originated the ‘mobile’ (kinetic sculpture), created stationary sculptures, as well, known as ‘stabiles’. Fascinated with the circus from childhood, his ‘Cirque Calder’ of miniatures was made from wire, string, cloth, rubber and various found objects, and filled five suitcases. This sculpted troupe traveled for improvised performances in North America and Europe in the 1920s – 1930s.

#14 of 16 Songs

          

Double-Edged Swords

All aboard for another journey in the luminous company of Louise Brooks (1906 – 1985). The iconic American actress and dancer stars here in a scene from "Prix de beauté” (“Beauty Prize” aka “Miss Europe”), a 1930 feature film directed by Augusto Genina and written by René Clair & Georg W. Pabst.

Double-Edged Swords from Allison Crowe on Vimeo.

On track with Allison Crowe (vocals, piano, engineer) for this recording of “Double-Edged Swords” is: Billie Woods (guitar); Dave Baird (bass); Laurent Boucher (percussion); Larry Anschell (engineer); and Kayla Schmah (producer).

#13 of 16 Songs

Doughnut Song

Item 6 on the menu of Allison Crowe’s uniquely delicious “16 Songs” Video Album offers more delicate a balance than, say, Dadaist imagery stirred with Crowe’s social commentary, or, any cultural seasonings of Welsh Rarebit and Radiohead.

American sculptor Alexander Calder (1898- 1976) is the originator of the ‘mobile’ – the name coined for his kinetic sculptures by the famed French-American chess-player and conceptual artist+ Marcel Duchamp.

“Ballet” – featuring Calder’s mobiles - is the fifth of seven dream sequences contained in Hans Richter’s 1947 surrealist movie “Dreams That Money Can Buy” – given the Award for the Best Original Contribution to the Progress of Cinematography at the Venice Film Festival.

Doughnut Song from Allison Crowe on Vimeo.
             

Here, Calder/Richter’s creation dances with Allison Crowe’s interpretation of “Doughnut Song” – composed by one of the Canadian musician’s greatest inspirations, American singer-songwriter, pianist+ Tori Amos.

A classical piano prodigy, born Myra Ellen Amos, enormously influential and loved in popular music, Tori reveals some of her own key ingredients: "I've always been inspired by visual artists of all mediums because, as with Music, Art is not a job you can go to and leave from; but it is something that defines who and what you are."

#6 of 16 Songs

20 Down: "Everyone is attached to singer Crowe (7)"

20 Down: “Everyone is attached to singer Crowe (7)”

We’ve an head-start on The National Post’s Saturday Cryptic Crossword (August 9, 2014 edition) - the newest creation of a legendary partnership, one that’s central to these puzzles-within-a-puzzle becoming so loved in North America. (Cryptic crosswords originated in the United Kingdom where they’ve long been favourites.)

“Hex” is the nom-de-plume of puzzle constructors Emily Cox and Henry Rathvon, explains aficionado Barry Haldiman, “though one might think it is the effect of their cryptics on solvers' minds. They are the quintessential, or as they would clue ‘Ideal crazy quilt seats nine (14)’, ambassadors of wordplay puzzledom.” http://home.everestkc.net/nytxword/hexplex.htm 

“Cryptic Royalty” they’ve been crowned by The Nation. Of Cox & Rathvon’s decades-long artistry in such publications as The Atlantic Monthly, The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Boston Globe and Canada’s National Post, it’s said: “Their impact cannot be overestimated.” http://www.thenation.com/blog/176152/cryptic-royalty

For a printable version of this sing-ular fun in pdf format – visit https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B4apux86ICY4OHBSRTNwc3BYMDg/edit - answers to this NP Cryptic Crossword will be published across this land in the newspaper on Saturday, August 16.

Often in this puzzling world, it can seem we just don’t have a clue. Not this time!

click on crossword image above to see fuller-sized puzzle

Enjoy :)

Fourth of July reflections

boyhowdy at the Cover Lay Down blog presents a genuinely thoughtful reflection and celebration of America for this July 4 weekend. And, he includes, in a terrific song selection, Allison Crowe's cover of "Independence Day" by Ani DiFranco.


The post's final note: "Happy Birthday, America. Long may your contradictions endear us to you. May you never lose hope. And may we never stop singing."