Techno - Rednex

I discovered Rednex while I was living in Germany in the 1990s.  They were very successful in Germany and "Cotton Eye Joe" was a huge hit.  The first time I heard it, I was at a carnival in Nurnberg.  It was playing on one of the rides that was spinning very fast and it was awesome.  I had never heard anything like it before.  Rednex is very unique because their music is a blend of techno with folk and bluegrass.  I don't think any band had done that before and it was very different and I am always attracted to stuff that is different.  It has been over twenty years since I first heard them and I still listen to them today.  Their videos are nothing but over-the-top silliness.  

The Smiths

The Smiths were one of the best bands from Britain in the 1980s.  Some people compared them to the Beatles and they were very successful with their blend of new wave and indie rock.  I don't recall hearing much from them when I was growing up on the 80s but I discovered them later on.  Even though they were only together for a short period of time, they gained a cult following which still exists today.  Their lead singer, Morrissey, had a very successful solo career after the band broke up.  He continues to tour and there are always rumors of a reunion of The Smiths.  I like Morrissey because he makes great music and is an outspoken supporter of animal rights and vegetarianism.  One of my favorite songs by The Smiths is "Meat is Murder."  I like it because Morrissey is expressing his true feelings through his music.

 

 

Massive Attack

I had never heard of Massive Attack until I saw their video in class.  I guess I was too lost in the heavy metal scene of the 80s and 90s to discover some great music and amazing videos.  I really got lost in the imagery of the "Karmacoma" video.  The music was great, but the video was better.  I have watched several more of their videos and get the same feeling.  I like the video imagery better than the music.  The videos are a work of art and seem like they had finished the video images first and then added music.  I watched some of their live shows and it does seem something is missing without the videos.  I probably would not have given them a second listen if I had just heard the music.

This live version of "Karmacoma" would have been better if they had projected the video images in the background.

 

 Massive Attack - "Karmacoma" Live

The video for "Teardrop" was very creative, but like the other videos, I enjoyed the video imagery more than the music. 

 

Massive Attack - "Teardrop"

 

Performance Art Comments

The performance art pieces were all very creative and well-done for first attempts at performance art.  Andrea had a great idea integrating her major, Creative Advertising, into her performance by allowing people to write their favorite slogans on her body.  Bryan's performance of being connected to his electronic devices was an excellent representation of MIS.  Katelyn's was the best interpretation of anti-advertising with her sign.  I like the way she recorded her performance from across the street.  Leah's was excellent with the participation of the people walking on Bayshore.  My favorites were done by Spencer and Kirby.  Spencer did a very creative piece with communication by string and cups.  He picked a perfect location with lots of foot traffic.  Kirby did an excellent job by immersing herself in the story as a Journalism major.  She created the story with the body on the sidewalk and participating by doing the chalk outline.

Performance Art

I decided to put myself in a sand sculpture for my performance art.  I thought a shark eating me alive would be a graphic image and would work well since I am a graphic design major.  It also represents the way I feel sometimes since I'm an older student attending college.   I decided to do it at Fort De Soto Beach and it was my first attempt at sand sculpture and performance art.  I immediately had problems with the sand holding together but finally got a good feel for the amount of sand and water to mix.  The sand sculpture took about two hours to complete and I spent another thirty minutes posing with the shark and allowing others to participate.  I posed with my head inside the shark and then posed with a torn, bloodied shirt inside his jaws.  It was a conversation piece on the beach with many people.  This is the first time I have ever had so many strangers come by and talk to me at the beach.  My shark turned into a photo op as many people stopped to get a picture with their head inside the shark's mouth.  I had stressed about this assignment since day one when I saw it on the syllabus but I stressed out for no reason.  It was a very enjoyable experience and I got to know a lot of new people.

I was very worried at this point if it would work.  I was starting to think of back-up plans.

I was feeling much better after the mouth did not collapse.  That was the hardest part to do and took several attempts and lots of water.

This was the first pose.  I could hear lots of people walking by and laughing.

I'm sure this picture is on her Facebook.

This is the second pose with my shredded and bloodied shirt.

Photo op!!

This lady had more than water in her cooler and she had been drinking lots of it.

Northern Soul

I think the reason for this underground dance music was explained in the video when it showed The Osmonds.  If that is the music being played on the radio, it would drive people to an underground club scene to listen to good music.  I think it is also about rebelling against the "in" music at the time.  There will always be groups of people who don't fit in and want to be different.  The Northern Soul scene gave them the opportunity to be different and be around like-minded people.  If those people did not exist, we would still be suffering with the same old crappy music.

Graphene

If all they say is true about graphene, then it would be the next evolution in electronics to continue making them smaller. Electronics have continued to shrink over the years from large bulky items to small, thin devices. I guess graphene answers the question of how small and thin can they go. Some of the items mentioned in the article are very intriguing and one is a little scary. I like the idea of the cell phone battery that stays charged for a week but I don't like the idea of a very thin cell phone. I would probably lose mine on a daily basis. I would like to see a graphene television that I can stick on my wall. I am fascinated by what graphene could do in the art world. It could really take body art to another level. I don't like the idea of a graphene implant to monitor my body. I would try the thin electronic devices but would not want any of it in my body.