Tuesday, February 17, 2009

and it's like, and it's like um. and it's um like, like um.



Charles Spearin, a dude from Do Make Say Think and Broken Social Scene, invited some friends and neighbours over and did some interviews with them vaguely centred around happiness. Then he pulled out his Rolodex of the Super Talented and had his peeps put the interviews to music, following the beautiful cadences and intonations of his friends and neighbours. The CBC and I are now transfixed with the result.
Please buy the album here.
And check out the myspace.
I personally have a penchant for Vittoria (from who I stole title of this post).
The content is obviously uplifting, but this project is really interesting because of the way that it distinguishes the beautiful differences in each individual's voice, and the way that all of the tracks come together in a way that is reminiscent of a big family gathering or a church potluck. We have little babes and school-age children and young and old ladies and they're all present in the room taking turns talking about what happiness means while the musicians in the corner play along with the notes in their voices. So like the best potluck ever, where you get to fill up on white bean cassoulet* and genuine contentedness.

Pictured above is my own happiness project.

*To my knowledge, the Happiness Project does not actually ship along with a white bean cassoulet.

skating the humble path to zen canadian




(lovely pictures taken by lovely jodi)

Thursday, February 12, 2009

you've got outsider art by an artist



Mike Mills is my current visual love.
I like his stuff because it is:
-simple
-heartfelt
-over- and under-wrought at the same time
-Miranda July likes it too
-he is from "Cali"
-www.mikemillsweb.com

He designed the cover of Miranda July's book "No one belongs here more than you." I didn't know anyone designed it. I didn't realize it had been designed.


I thought it was just Helvetica Light.