Animal House

When I first came to Oberlin, I convinced myself that it wasn't some spectacular magical privilege but actually a cruel trick to get me away from my girlfriend and a pale, "privileged" imitation of THE MAJESTIC AND PERFECT SAN FRANCISCO SCENEENENE. In our time of limited youth fiscal responsibility, a baby boomers child generation tailored to search for truth and pizza and all of that, this is a generic story I am really unfortunately tempted to dig a deep well of excuses for my total failure for two complete years but I just poured a really hot cup of coffee in my mouth and can't get into it! To make things short, I had a really generic existential crisis, dropped out, did something to cool off my class guilt and came back to school a brand new dimwit.

AND WOWOWOOWOWOW. Very quickly, I realized that the place was not a shambly imitation of my metropolitan home or "Real life" but in fact a radical place with bottomless resources and a camp fire club/think tank for smart and clever young people trying to gather some tools for their satchel to carry and pass off to their adult selves. I understand this is obvious to most who did not wear a numbskull bandana over their eyes for their teenage years, but I feel like I have to write it over and over and over again and feel eternally guilty for lost treasures. Some people, however, really rise up to the challenge of their collegiate experience and are able to see their resources and new skills in creative BIG TIME ways.

I heard about this article from Benji when I was in Houston but I wasn't sure t'was true. A new York timeser can describe this situation a lot better than I can, but I have to say Josh, Naomi, and Ben's (AKA SCA) eventual construction of a $10 million multi-use green building is so tremendously overzealous and insane that it is an inspiration. Basically, a few factors converged (the threat of a super-K coming to town and swallowing up all downtown business/some empty lots/excited professors) that allowed/forced them to find a new type of solution to an increasingly common and tragic phenomenon- the floundering small town downtown. I knew them in various capacities (1 local wildman, radio workers, co-opers, etc.) and in no sense as standard "future eye on the prize young millionaire entrepreneurs". That is the beauty of this project. I don't believe that a group of specialists trained in this field could create a practical plan that still manages to maintain the vitality and ethically transformative potential of their project. As I was first dipping my pinkie toe in the cool, clean waters of sustainable design, these kind souls took me and a few fellow students under their still-maturing wing and allowed us to research materials and building methods alongside them- Why take in a bunch of untrained yahoos? I'd like to think it is because an unspecialized but exuberant eye can offer the type of open-minded, fresh perspective that someone in their position was looking for. I'm sure that they (and any other small business owner) will say that I am painting an overly-idealized portrait and I accept that. But, I don't have any reservations about celebrating their ability to creatively work with existing structures to fulfill their out of the box vision. Unfortunately, I feel like I've spent a lot of my life structuring my social circle and personality around what I hate in the world and I think this is a great example of people that have built their lives around what they want to see more of. YEAH!

Loving time aside, this is a venue for musics of all kinds so I wanted to follow this up with a little piece on International Harvester. For 2 1/2 seconds it was topically appropriate because I was functioning on the delusional understanding that I.H. were college students during their most active years. It astounded me that they were having the kind of visions that they were in the same time I was walking around with a backpack of beer talking about Thin Lizzy. For better or worse I take collegiate political dissent lightly (or as a shallow warm-up) and sonic explorations deadly serious, but OOPS, they were 30 when they made Sovv Got. Rose-Marie. Too late to stop now!

International Harvester/Parson Sound have the standard hippie/kraut-rock problem with convoluted formations/names/members/etc. The personnel involved, two musically schooled composers, a poet, 1-2 performance drummers. They were united by their mutual appreciation for experimental rock of the period (Pink Floyd, Velvet Underground, etc.) and emerging minimalist composers that also incorporated eastern drone elements into their music(Terry Riley's visit to Sweden is repeatedly referenced). All these things considered, it's tempting to relegate them to an off-kilter Swedish Kraut fluke world but that would be unfair (Sovv. Got Rose-Marie came out 1 year before Future Days!) I HATE TO BE UNFAIR and I love this band, so we will be having none of that! The first 11 songs on the album are a wild bunch with pop song lengths but the last two are pretty righteous, 12 minute long meditations on Mr. Riley and the Velvets. This album connects to a strand that runs through most of my favorite music- it dances in the the ravine between primitive and affected; joyful but not dismissive or lazy. Plus, it feels PUNK. To the dismay of the half-assed musician inside of me, I'm finding more and more of the freedom sounds and heart anthems that I'm drawn to are built on the same serious foundation of diligent experimentation, thought, and GUTZZZZZ- the crust and sauce have special secret ingredients perfected by many generations of grandmothers but the toppings get pulled out of the freezer and thrown on top- that is a classic formula. DO YOU HEAR ME SUNBURNED HAND OF THEMANANANANAN???? I am tired of only having toppings and stale bread and crusty tomatoes!
International Harvester- 3. There Is No Other Place
International Harvester- 3.Klockan Ar Mycket Nu (It's getting Late)
International Harvester- 10. Sommarlaten (Summer Song)
International Harvester- 11. Sov Gott. Rose-Marie (It's getting late Rose Marie)