WHAT TO WEAR DURING AN ORANGE ALERT?

Episode Seventeen: Almost Talk Radio

* Secret Colours: Jellybeans
* Interview with Gina Frangello (excerpt)
* Cotton Jones: Glorylight and Christie
* Chicago Now Radio Interview with Amy Guth, Alex Quiby, and Ben Tanzer (excerpt)
* Chris Connelly: How This Ends (excerpt)
* Teen Daze: Shine On, You Crazy White Cap

Everything is Terrible! is a video mashing squad from Chicago and they have been taking over the internet and swimming in found video footage for years. This crew digs through '80's and '90's VHS tapes like a DJ digs through vinyl to piece together mini-films with a controlled message or theme. The project started out as a blog project, but they eventually released Everything is Terrible: The Movie.

Howie Good "This is The Way The World Ends"

Maybe it is because we are quickly approaching 2012, but for the second week in a row I am talking about the "End Times". I think the reason that this subject is so fascinating is that it is the ultimate unknown. We feel we are moving toward something and we know we are abusing life, but we aren't sure what it will look like or how it will feel.

Through the eyes of Howie Good the end will come in a flash of light. Yet before it comes he will continue to dissect life around him. This collection is about the various details, loves, and subtleties of life. Perhaps with the world ending our senses are heightened and we can discover more details.

Kurt Halsey from his new exhibit at Chicago's Rotofugi. The opening event took place on June 18th from 7 to 10pm.

Listening:
1. Gasoline Silver: Minnesota is home to this power-pop trio. Listen to: Indianapolis (mp3)
2. Inoculist: Brooklyn does it again. Listen to: Holy Name (mp3)
3. Will Knox: Will just released his latest album The Matador and the Acrobat. Listen to: Footprints On the Moon (mp3)

Reading:
1. Do Not Resuscitate by Jason Fisk

I could have easily made this into a two hour episode, but I tried my best to keep it around thirty minutes. I have been a Morrissey fan for a long time and I am finally getting to pay him a little tribute. His lyrics are what keep me coming back, and hopefully that is what will come through in this episode.

Episode Sixteen: The Smith-i-sode

* The Ukrainians: Koroleva Ne Polerma (The Queen Is Dead)
* Amy Guth: There Is a Light That Never Goes Out
* V.V. Brown: This Charming Man
* Zee Avi: First of The Gang To Die
* Mel Bosworth: Reel Around The Fountain
* The Welcome Wagon: Half A Person

We all know that inspiration and influence can come in many different forms. For artist James Ulmer it is a variety iconic and not so iconic images from his youth that fill his images. It is an odd sense of nostalgia mixed with a healthy dose of experimentation and Ulmer's own personal touches that make his work so enjoyable. From ET to The Great Space Coaster, Ulmer's drawings are fun and creative, and always provide something new to look at.

Recently, James was kind enough to answer a few of my questions.

Orange Alert (OA): How would you describe your work?
James Ulmer (JU): A lot of my work to me is like making this fantasy or a dream, the things that maybe I would have liked to see as a kid. Those ideas excite me.

I don't think I could have imagined a more perfect album for the Orange Alert audience then 7th album for San Francisco's David Karsten Daniels. The album is a collaboration with the nine piece avant-big band from Richmond, VA Fight The Big Bull, and is filled with swinging rhythms. However, what I love about this album are the lyrics. Daniels has borrowed all of his lyrics from Henry David Thoreau. It really is a perfect match with the organic nature of Thoreau's poetry and the style and delivery of Daniels. I don't think I fully appreciated the lyrical nature of Thoreau's poetry until I heard this album.

The album is called I Mean To Live Here Still and will be released by FatCat Records on June 22nd.

Chris Connelly "How This Ends"

"The bloodflow moves like jagged ants in the strobe of the conflicted sunset."

How This Ends is an epic poem written by author/musician Chris Connelly. For me, it is a deep and dark look at what the end times might look like. It's a look through the the pen of a man that has spent time in bands like The Revolting Cocks and Ministry. It's a look by someone who clearly feels we are on a path to destruction.

"Bodies under the bridge trying to generate magic hoping and loping from rubble to dismal paradise, post war architecture, yellow stained, cold and wet from piss and spilled solvent."

Cathy Rubin "This is not a race" acrylic on canvas 24 x 24