6forty project

And still the visions unfurled. With every step her astonishment grew at the variety of places and objects the Seerkind had saved from the conflagration. The Fugue was not, as she’d anticipated, simply a collection of haunted groves and thickets. Holiness was a far more democratic condition; it informed fragments of every kind: intimate and momentous, natural and artificial. Each corner and niche had its own peculiar mode of rapture.

The circumstances of their preservation meant that most of these fragments had been torn from their context like pages from a book. Their edges were still raw with the violence of that removal, and the haphazard way they’d been thrown together, only made their disunity seem more acute. But there were compensations. The very disparity of the pieces – the way the domestic abutted the public, the commonplace the fabulous – created fresh conundrums, hints of new stories that these hitherto unconnected pages might tell.

Sometimes the journey showed them collisions of elements so unlikely they defied any attempt to synthesize them. Dogs grazing beside a tomb, from fractured lid of which rose a fountain of fire that ran like water; a window set in the ground, its curtains billowing skyward on a breeze that carried the sound of the sea. These riddles, defying her power of explanation, marked her profoundly. There was nothing here that she hadn’t seen before – dogs, tombs, windows, fire – but in this flux she found them reinvented, their magic made again before her eyes.

Please support the bands by buying their records and going to their shows. Click on each link for more info.

6forty on twitter   ::   6forty on facebook   ::   mike@6forty.com

The End of the Ocean – All That Is Will Cease    [00:00]
Red Room Cinema – we Raise Our Eyes Between The Walls of Glass and Steel    [06:16]
Líam – V    [10:06]
The Orchid – Vernacular    [18:42]
MinionTV – Rockets Don’t Need Fuel    [26:05]
Killington Fall – Ghost Rockets    [31:11]
Alpha Male Tea Party – My Ship Is Shipshaped    [36:05]
Cloudkicker – Making Will Mad    [42:35]
Goonies Never Say Die – Don’t Fight The Fire, Fuck The Arsonist    [48:31]
Beware Of Safety – Crooked Nails For Catching Skin    [54:30]
Eno – Archaic Pattern    [62:46]
When Whales Collide – Defying Desire    [70:53]
Nemean Lion – Destroyed; Placed In The Sky    [74:27]
This Patch of Sky – With Morning Comes Hope    [81:38]

640.064 playlist.pdf

Clive Barker, Weaveworld, Poseidon Press, 1987

Alice looked all round her at the flowers and the blades of grass, but she did not see anything that looked like the right thing to eat or drink under the circumstances. There was a large mushroom growing near her, about the same height as herself; and when she had looked under it, it occurred to her that she might as well look and see what was on the top of it.

She stretched herself up on tiptoe, and peeped over the edge of the mushroom, and her eyes immediately met those of a large caterpillar, that was sitting on the top with its arms folded, quietly smoking a long hookah, and taking not the smallest notice of her or of anything else.

Chapter V. Advice from a Caterpillar

The Caterpillar and Alice looked at each other for some time in silence: at last the Caterpillar took the hookah out of its mouth, and addressed her in a languid, sleepy voice.

‘Who are you?’ said the Caterpillar.

This was not an encouraging opening for the conversation. Alice replied, rather shyly, ‘I–I hardly know, sir, just at present–at least I know who I WAS when I got up this morning, but I think I must have been changed several times since then.’

‘What do you mean by that?’ said the Caterpillar sternly. ‘Explain yourself!’

‘I can’t explain myself, I’m afraid, sir,’ said Alice, ‘because I’m not myself, you see.’

‘I don’t see,’ said the Caterpillar.

‘I’m afraid I can’t put it more clearly,’ Alice replied very politely, ‘for I can’t understand it myself to begin with; and being so many different sizes in a day is very confusing.’

‘It isn’t,’ said the Caterpillar.

‘Well, perhaps you haven’t found it so yet,’ said Alice, ‘but when you have to turn into a chrysalis–you will someday, you know–and then after that into a butterfly, I should think you’ll feel it a little queer, won’t you?’

‘Not a bit,’ said the Caterpillar.

‘Well, perhaps your feelings may be different,’ said Alice; ‘all I know is, it would feel very queer to me.’

‘You!’ said the Caterpillar contemptuously. ‘Who are you?’

Which brought them back again to the beginning of the conversation.

Please support the bands by buying their records and going to their shows. Click on each link for more info.

6forty on twitter   ::   6forty on facebook   ::   mike@6forty.com

Red Sparowes – In Every Mind   [00:00]
Collapse Under The Empire – Dragonfly   [03:06]
The Cure – M   [09:17]
Giants – O’ Tide   [12:22]
Flies Are Spies From Hell – Nerves Still Beating   [19:11]
Light – Place Without Reason   [25:54]
New Order – Truth   [31:03]
Yume Bitsu – Team Yume   [35:19]
Mohican – You Have Deep Circles   [43:40]
Slowdive – Avalyn I   [49:48]
Eyes Like Mirrors – Meadows Breathe Beneath Mountains   [54:33]
Our Ceasing Voice – Within The Nick Of Time   [60:14]
Bye Horus – Cherbourg   [67:56]
Willow – 1172   [76:35]

640.063 playlist.pdf

[Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, Lewis Carroll, Macmillan, 1865]

The man, grieved by his own conscientiousness, rummaged in his leathery bag and seized forth an iron contraption.

“Take this, free! Why? One of those houses will be struck by lightning! Without this rod, bang’. Fire and ash, roast pork and cinders!  Grab!”

The salesman released the rod. Jim did not move, But Will caught the iron and gasped.

“Boy, it’s heavy! And funny-looking. Never seen a lightning rod like this. Look, Jim!”

And Jim, at last, stretched like a cat, and turned his head. His green eyes got big and then very narrow.

The metal thing was hammered and shaped half-crescent, half-cross. Around the rim of the main rod little curlicues and doohingies had been soldered on, later. The entire surface of the rod was finely scratched and etched with strange languages, names that could tie the tongue or break the jaw, numerals that added to incomprehensible sums, pictographs of insect-animals all bristle, chaff, and claw.

“That’s Egyptian.” Jim pointed his nose at a bug soldered to the iron. “Scarab beetle.”

“So it is, boy.”

Jim squinted. “And those there — Phoenician hen tracks.”

“Right!”

“Why?” asked Jim.

“Why?” said the man. “Why the Egyptian, Arabic, Abyssinian, Choctaw? Well, what tongue does the wind talk? What nationality is a storm? What country do rains come from? What color is lightning? Where does thunder go when it dies? Boys, you got to be ready in every dialect with every shape and form to hex the St. Elmo’s fires, the balls of blue light that prowl the earth like sizzling cats. I got the only lightning rods in the world that hear, feel, know, and sass back any storm, no matter what tongue, voice, or sign. No foreign thunder so loud this rod can’t soft-talk it!”

Please support the bands by buying their records and going to their shows. Click on each link for more info.

6forty on twitter   ::   6forty on facebook   ::   mike@6forty.com

Maserati – This Is A Sight We Had One Day From The High Mountain / Show Me The Season   [00:00]
Spaces – Hadley / Edge Of Forever   [12:14]
obe – Standard Fog   [17:18]
Rumour Cubes – 1871   [23:23]
A Far Off Reason – Force de Vente   [26:47]
Ten Past Seven – Johnstons Cows   [32:57]
Marriages – White Shape   [40:06]
Wiltz – Ice Cream Cake (Revisited)   [43:52]
Do Not Be Surprised What Is Happening – We Love You, Termi…   [49:24]
Tuber – Attack From Mars   [53:45]
Terraformer – Crusade   [60:13]
Meniscus – 130   [64:02]
Chiaroscuro – Silent Snow   [70:40]
Joy Wants Eternity – Shut Your Eyes And You’ll burst Into Flames   [75:36]

640.062 playlist.pdf

Ray Bradbury, Something Wicked This Way Comes, Simon & Schuster, 1962

‘Now Jennie has everything. She is the finest leading lady The World Mother Goose Theatre ever had. Jennie is a star. She performs every day and twice on Saturday. She is content. Once Jennie sent her old master a letter. This is what it said:

Hello,

As you probably noticed, I went away forever. I am very experienced now and very famous. I am even a star. Every day I eat a mop, twice on Saturday. It is made of salami and that is my favorite. I get plenty to drink too, so don’t worry. I can’t tell you how to get to the Castle Yonder because I don’t know where it is. But if you ever come this way, look for me.

Jennie’

This collection is dedicated to the memory of Maurice Sendak. His writing and artwork were such a big part of my young life, and I’m so pleased that my daughters are also growing up with his stories. I have included a separate PDF featuring drawings that they did this week to go along with this post. Please visit the Maurice Sendak Wikipedia post for a rather extensive overview of his life as an artist, illustrator, and writer.

Please support the bands by buying their records and going to their shows. Click on each link for more info.

6forty on twitter   ::   6forty on facebook   ::   mike@6forty.com

Bye Horus – Ave Coloniale!   [00:00]
Powder! Go Away – That Is What Everybody Fears And Wants   [07:49]
New Century Classics – A Small Misunderstanding   [12:35]
Beyond This Point Are Monsters – Plain Song   [16:35]
The American Dollar – Heavy Eyes Ignite   [19:46]
Explosions In The Sky – The Long Spring   [23:52]
His Name Is Alive – Drive The Dreamy Demon Down   [29:20]
His Name Is Alive – Lake (Theme For Sweet Hearts)   [32:53]
Hood – Your Ambient Voice   [35:35]
Mogwai – Now You’re Taken   [42:33]
Roy Montgomery – Down From That Hill And Up To The Pond   [49:28]
Last Lungs – 66   [55:47]
Milhaven – DRZ   [58:15]
Caspian – Sycamore   [74:38]

640.060 playlist.pdf

Sendak-inspired art.pdf

[Maurice Sendak, Higglety Pigglety Pop! or There Must Be More To Life, 1967, HarperCollins Publishers]

‘The hour of my irresolution is past, and the period of your power is arrived. Your threats cannot move me to do an act of wickedness; but they confirm me in a determination of not creating you a companion in vice. Shall I, in cool blood, set loose upon the earth a daemon whose delight is in death and wretchedness? Begone! I am firm, and your words will only exasperate my rage.’

The monster saw my determination in my face and gnashed his teeth in the impotence of anger. ‘Shall each man,’ cried he, ‘find a wife for his bosom, and each beast have his mate, and I be alone? I had feelings of affection, and they were requited by destination and scorn. Man! You may hate, but beware! Your hours will pass in dread and misery, and soon the bolt will fall which must ravish from you your happiness forever. Are you to be happy while I grovel in the intensity of my wretchedness? You can blast my other passions, but revenge remains – revenge, henceforth dearer than light or food! I may die, but first you, my tyrant and tormentor, shall curse the sun that gazes on your misery. Beware, for I am fearless and therefore powerful. I will watch with the wiliness of a snake, that I may sting with its venom. Man, you shall repent of the injuries you inflict.’

Please support the bands by buying their records and going to their shows. Click on each link for more info.

6forty on twitter   ::   6forty on facebook   ::   mike@6forty.com

Vasquez – Dad Rock   -00:00-
Mental Architects – Here Is Where, Where Better   -04:26-
Etiquette – Portugal (Down Old South America Way)   -08:28-
They Say We’re Sinking – Telos   -13:08-
Cloudkicker – Push It Way Up!   -21:05-
Lord – Totems   -28:22-
Kokomo – Arcade Romania   -34:18-
Dumbsaint – Don’t Forget To Bring Down The Sky   -39:04-
Terraformer – Cross Bearing   -46:22-
Pet Slimmers Of The Year – I Am The Ocean   -49:58-
Three Steps To The Ocean – Collider   -62:20-
What The Blood Revealed – Cast Adrift In A Harbour Of Devils   -70:40-

640.058 playlist.pdf

Mary Shelley, ‘Frankenstein,’ 1818, by Lackington, Hughes, Harding, Mavor & Jones
The image is courtesy of The College of Physicians of Philadelphia – Mütter Museum. An amazing place.