Author Archives for Brett Callero

Beatbox Rocker – Westbam

Artist as Rock & Roll Enthusiast (aka ARE) Post: 18

I know it seems like all hell is breaking loose in the United States. I know there’s bullshit flying around you in every direction. I know it seems like the virus is never going to leave us. I know you’re concerned for your safety and the safety of your loved ones.

I also know it’s Saturday night! Time to make some boogie down productions of your own. Time to get up, get up, get, get, get down with this techno electro classic. Seriously, I love this jam.

I’m beatbox rocker, and you dancing to my beat.

Numb Rage

How many of you are vacillating between feeling numb and full of rage with little to no buffer between the extremes??? My anxiety makes me revolve pretty damn fast on a normal day. These days it feels like mental whiplash.

The George W. Bush presidency made me upset enough to generate creative energy and be very productive. Trump, that asshole, is jamming me!!! That said, I keep fighting, kicking my own ass toward creative progress. The things I’m interested in most and have been making work about for years are still very real and present (cultural hypocrisy etc.). Unfortunately for me, Trump sucks all the air out of the room and my non-Trump ideas get buried. Therefore, I’m running with that at the moment. The numb rage of living through these days makes me make art specifically about this time.

Numb Rage – I’ll have to use that for a title of a new piece of art. Alright, here we go. Let it flow.

 

The South’s Too Fat to Rise Again – Nashville Pussy

Artist as Rock & Roll Enthusiast (aka ARE) Post: 17

Today’s message is simple and direct. In case you’ve forgotten…the South’s too fat to rise again.

W.M.A. – Pearl Jam

Artist as Rock & Roll Enthusiast (aka ARE) Post: 16

White. Male. American.

This song about police racism was released in 1993. It was inspired by an incident in which Eddie Vedder got into an altercation with a group of police officers who hassled his black friend but ignored him.

“He won the lottery by being born
Big hand slapped a white male American
Do no wrong so clean cut
Dirty his hands, it comes right off
Police man, police man, police man
Police stopped my brother again”

This song is now 27 years old. I’ve listened to it often over the years. Objectively it’s a pretty great song too. The tribal backbeat is hypnotic and it’s message is as vital as ever. Let’s listen to it like it’s brand new because the subject certainly isn’t old. #blacklivesmatter

Let The Good Times Roll – Little Beaver

Artist as Rock & Roll Enthusiast (aka ARE) Post: 15

I’m still gravitating toward my collection of funk soul classics during these times.

Let music help you rise above the bullshit blocking your way. Whatever get’s you through. This one works for me.

Never An Easy Way – Morcheeba

Artist as Rock & Roll Enthusiast (aka ARE) Post: 14

Heard this one shuffle this morning. It had been a while since I heard it. This song sounds best after midnight but today it was a morning song and once again I heard the right song at the right time.

The sound is bold and strong yet spacious and sparse. The lyrics are moody yet motivational.

It’s one of my personal anthems. Nothing else to say.

The Secret Of Drawing

Here’s something interesting to watch. The BBC Documentary called the Secret of Drawing.

Released in 2005, the four-part series explores how drawing has shaped our lives. It is required viewing for my Drawing II classes. Many artists are highlighted throughout this documentary series. I also ask my students to write a personal analysis of one artist from each part of the series.

Each part is equally good. Check it out.

The Secret Of Drawing: Episode 1: The Line Of Enquiry
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9H59cVnnF9Y

The Secret Of Drawing: Episode 2: Storylines
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VEz3JwCMZcQ

The Secret Of Drawing: Episode 3: All In The Mind
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DY_t2cwJQnw

The Secret Of Drawing: Episode 4: Drawing By Design
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x4X-jWKzaaQ

My Neighborhood Made National News

My neighborhood made national news.

https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/y3my55/these-racist-wuhan-plague-plaques-are-popping-up-around-atlanta?utm_source=vicenewsfacebook&fbclid=IwAR1_3eI5ARBYz1xF7pyyEr5BETybJwp0ys-EFApVluMBMMEJvcROCF6Q8-s

Probably because I’m an artist, but my first instinct here is to think that the person behind it is not a racist at all. Instead, they’re making a subversive statement about racism itself and our visceral responses to it.

It made you look, it made you think. That my friends…is why art kicks ass, regardless of what your emotional reaction may be.

Hello In There – John Prine

Artist as Rock & Roll Enthusiast (aka ARE) Post: 13

Like many people, I first learned about John Prine through other people’s versions of his songs. My mother played Bette Midler’s version of this song a lot when I was a kid. I recall listening to the lyrics and being immersed in the life of the song’s narrator. I remember being compelled to think of what were very deep thoughts at the time. This is my favorite John Prine song because it’s the first one I ever heard. I still recall taking a journey through the lyrics. For the first time, I thought of a song as a story.

Even though the singer/songwriter tradition isn’t my favorite type of music, I know and respect the legends of any genre. He’s also from Chicago and spearheaded the Chicago Folk Revival.

John Prine is a legend. May he rest in peace.

From My Curiosity Files: Common Surnames

From My Curiosity Files: here is a list of the 100 most common surnames in the United States in 2020:

1 Smith, 2 Johnson, 3 Williams, 4 Brown, 5 Jones, 6 Miller, 7 Davis, 8 Garcia, 9 Rodriguez, 10 Wilson

11 Martinez, 12 Anderson, 13 Taylor, 14 Thomas, 15 Hernandez, 16 Moore, 17 Martin, 18 Jackson, 19 Thompson, 20 White

21 Lopez, 22 Lee, 23 Gonzalez, 24 Harris, 25 Clark, 26 Lewis, 27 Robinson, 28 Walker, 29 Perez, 30 Hall

31 Young, 32 Allen, 33 Sanchez, 34 Wright, 35 King, 36 Scott, 37 Green, 38 Baker, 39 Adams, 40 Nelson

41 Hill, 42 Ramirez, 43 Campbell, 44 Mitchell, 45 Roberts, 46 Carter, 47 Phillips, 48 Evans, 49 Turner, 50 Torres

51 Parker, 52 Collins, 53 Edwards, 54 Stewart, 55 Flores, 56 Morris, 57 Nguyen, 58 Murphy, 59 Rivera, 60 Cook

61 Rogers, 62 Morgan, 63 Peterson, 64 Cooper, 65 Reed, 66 Baliey, 67 Bell, 68 Gomez, 69 Kelly, 70 Howard

71 Ward, 72 Cox, 73 Diaz, 74 Richardson, 75 Wood, 76 Watson, 77 Brooks, 78 Bennett, 79 Gray, 80 James

81 Reyes, 82 Cruz, 83 Hughes, 84 Price, 85 Myers, 86 Long, 87 Foster, 88 Sanders, 89 Ross, 90 Morales

91 Powell, 92 Sullivan, 93 Russell, 94 Ortiz, 95 Jenkins, 96 Gutierrez, 97 Perry, 98 Butler, 99 Barnes, 100 Fisher

The Dignity Of Work

So tired of the “people don’t want to work” narrative. I’ve been hearing it my whole life from the mouths of people that are themselves overly entitled, small minded or simply unaware. It’s inaccurate when we’re in a time of prosperity and it’s irresponsibly ignorant in a time of crisis.

Listening to politicians and my fellow citizens say that “too much relief” may discourage people from working is fundamentally outrageous. The dignity of work is something of value to us all.

Besides, look around you. When have we ever lived in a world where a persons pay was equaled to the amount of work actually done to earn it or the true societal importance of their work?

Ventilator Blues – The Rolling Stones

Artist as Rock & Roll Enthusiast (aka ARE) Post: 12

The soundtrack of life continues. Rough and tumble blues from the Stones is my nomination for our post apocalyptic national anthem. Lyrically it relates to the news of the day of course. The sound of this tune is appropriately greasy and gritty for our present situation too. Not only that, it is a damn good song, one of my all-time favorites (https://brettcalleroartist.com/2019/09/11/my-500-favorite-songs-at-50/).

If a song could literally kick your ass, this would be one to watch yr back around.

When your spine is cracking and your hands, they shake,
Heart is bursting and you butt’s gonna break.
Your woman’s cussing, you can hear her scream,
You feel like murder in the first degree.
Ain’t nobody slowing down no way,
Ev’rybody’s stepping on their accelerator,
Don’t matter where you are,
Ev’rybody’s gonna need a ventilator.
When you’re trapped and circled with no second chances,
Your code of living is your gun in hand.
We can’t be browed by beating, we can’t be cowed by words,
Messed by cheating, ain’t gonna ever learn.
Ev’rybody walking ’round,
Ev’rybody trying to step on their Creator.
Don’t matter where you are, ev’rybody, ev’rybody gonna
Need some kind of ventilator, some kind of ventilator.
What you gonna do about it, what you gonna do?
What you gonna do about it, what you gonna do?
Gonna fight it, gonna fight it?

Here Comes Sickness – Mudhoney

Artist as Rock & Roll Enthusiast (aka ARE) Post: 11

Mudhoney knows this subject well. This ought to be your social distancing theme song. Be safe everyone. Stay home and crank the tunes.

Vehicle – The Ides Of March

Artist as Rock & Roll Enthusiast (aka ARE) Post: 10

Hey, it’s the Ides of March. A one-hit wonder of a day! The hit of course being the murder of Julius Caesar. Therefore, it’s poetic symmetry that the band Ides Of March would be a true one-hit wonder.

Chicago band, the Ides Of March hit it big with their first single “Vehicle” which peaked at #2 in 1970. For a brief time this song was everywhere. It was a major hit. Tom Jones even sang it on his variety show. It has also even become a rock song regularly played by marching bands.

If you’re from Chicago as I am, you’ll certainly know this song. It’s on permanent rotation there.