NewCityMovement

Bill Moyers On Faith & Reason

We at NCM would like to elect Bill Moyers for president of everything. In his new new seven-part series called "Faith & Reason" for PBS, (our forcefully underfunded public broadcasting service) Moyers interviews provocative authors including Salman Rushdie, Martin Amis, Mary Gordon, and Margaret Atwood and asks if religion and reason can peacefully coexist? They set about having a conversation, "but not the conversation in which people simply shriek at each other".

It appears they are streaming the interviews from the website after they air so take advantage of that if you miss the broadcasts. Visit PBS.org/moyers. (Photo: NYTimes)

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There were no public hearings! Who approved these monstrosities? Just because it's in public view, erected with public funds doesn't mean that public art has to be 'accessible' or 'cute', the latter being too kind a word to use as this flying cow is a visual abomination beyond anything we've yet been subjected to. Cows, have been DONE by other cities and are now officially OVER. These are just another cringeworthy sign of our devolution as a species.

Next to these we have seagulls with anvil bodies. Now, please raise your hands if you think we need another homage to effing seagulls?! What is the meaning of these poorly crafted, Western Valley originating, hobby enthusiast art infractions? TRAX is nowhere nearby this up and coming area. Smack in the middle of the street between the progressive Jeane Wagner Theater and upscale restaurants like Metropolitain and the soon to open Zola (above Squatters).

Stranger In Our Midst

Freakin' Amy Sedaris is everywhere right now! There's been recent articles in the New York Times, one in New York Magazine, NPR interviews and segments, plus more footage than ever at YouTube. All leading up to the new Strangers With Candy Movie which comes out in July along with her new domestic entertaining how-to book titled, "I Like You - Hospitality Under The Influence". After Stephen Colbert's break-out from Daily Show reporter to having his own show, it's nice to see the queen of stink getting some credit where credit's been long overdue. We love you Amy!

Taking Notice

Just noticing some things as I drove around this morning running errands. Another sign of Salt Lake's evolutionary rise to retail equality. First we were blessed with an adequate but very welcome Apple store. And now, just a stone's throw from the Gateway at 357 West 200 South, a Bang & Olufsen is born.

Moving on... I LOVE that somebody, very possibly Senate contender Pete Ashdown (as the banners would suggest) has restored the exterior of the building on the corner of State Street and 400 South. This is right next to the internet moguls X-Mission headquarters, so one might assume that buying the whole block one brick at a time may be in the works. Now, if we could just get rid of that skanky BBQ chicken roasting place at the street level corner.

He Likes Big Book

In a recent case of pop culture spinning out of control through the power of the internets, Baby Got Book will surely delight middle aged Christians from coast to coast. (Thanks Stewf)

Huggable Nautiloids

"For almost 500 million years, Nautiloids were the coolest kids around. They ate trilobites, had shells in a variety of fantastical shapes, and ranged from bite-size to 12 feet long.... Most nautiloids are gone. Their living relatives include the squid, the octopus, and the famous chambered nautilus." – Beth Skwarecki
(Thanks Scott) (Photo: Beth Skwarecki)

Freedom Tower Unveiled

It seems like this is the tenth time we've seen the unveiling of the new Freedom Tower in New York but here it is for real. [Via TMN] (Illustration LMDC)

Grunts & Postures Becomes Cafe

Apparently the old Grunts & Postures space on 779 E. 300 S. is being turned into an neighborhood restaurant called CAFE NICHE. According to the sign on the door Grunts is going to open again in a new building, closer to downtown. Just another sign that the old SLC is shedding it's cocoon and becoming something different entirely.

Streetlife

Matthew Powell, a good friend of mine from my hometown of Idaho Falls, Idaho has been living in NYC for several years now and recently started photoblogging under the name MDPNY. Take a moment to visually escape into the streetlife of New York.

Runway Rev-Up

Yippee! Fashion candy is coming down the runway for Spring 2007. More to come each day so watch the collections as they unravel at Men.Style.com. [Shown: Missoni (I must get one of these teeny tiny bowties...)]

Digital Sound Projectors

No more multiple speakers, no more clutter, no more hiding wires...

Did you know it's possible to focus sound into ”beams” by digitally processing speaker delay times? The compact, stylish Yamaha YSP line of speakers utilizes individual digital amplifiers to power 23 sound beam drivers which, coupled with reflected sound waves produce true multi-channel surround sound.

Yamaha’s exclusive IntelliBeam feature ensures optimum multi-channel reproduction with accurate image localization. By monitoring the sound with the supplied microphone and analyzing it, IntelliBeam automatically optimizes the direction, level and frequency response of each beam. This makes initial setup both extremely simple and acoustically perfect.

Polk Audio also has a similar product called the SurroundBar™. Any of these little devils are well worth it but will set you back between $700 to $1000.

Gratitude

I just want to take a moment to extend my gratitude to those who came out to support Nick James and I at our last JUST WANNA DANCE of the Summer. The turnout was unbelievable considering everything that was going on, and in the heat of the Summer. Fred Simpson, our master percussionist was on fire as usual and really added that special vibe to the party. Also, Chris Howard's remix of the JWD Megavideo was pure genius! Thanks to all you people who made this dream gathering come true. Thanks to W. Lounge and to Carly for being the best P.A./Hostess.

It feels like we've become a real community of friends and music lovers and that's more than we could have ever wished for. Stay tuned for a few upcoming events outside the club between now and September when we are thinking about making a comeback.

Stay Focused

What happens when someone using a new technology finds it to be so enticing that they feel compelled to indulge to an excessive degree, disrupting their lives and fracturing relationships? Private Public is a series of objects that highlight the privacy we sacrifice when using mobile technological devices in public spaces. [Via TMN]

Marion Peck

Marion Peck. [via Art MoCo]

Ok, so no interview this morning with KCPW. We went to the makeshift studio at the festival grounds and waited through 3 other segments thinking we must be next. Then suddenly, the interviewer lady just got up and went back into the offices. No one said anything to us. We were like... OK...

We didn't really care since we were all a little downzy from celebrating last night after the REFLECTIVE debut. It's truly priceless to see the reaction of people as the piece starts up. Most people are oblivious and start looking around like, WTF? The timing of the later performance was a little off because some bands went over. There is a small amount of fog the lighting designer suprised us with last night, and we got some reports that people were running towards it to see if there was a performer or singer at it's origin. HA! Tricked again! Now that's art.

All said, it's pretty exciting to hear something like this on a huge sound system. We'll be tweaking things every day to perfect the experience as much as possible. I'm told ours is the last event of the festival on Sunday and they are going to program fireworks to it. How funny is that?

Art Crimes Against Humanity 002

Carrying your mothers ashes around in a box and documenting it might come off as high art if your name happens to be Demian Hurst. You might have a similar feeling after watching the video introduction at Dead Momma Database. The attempt by Arthur Pembleton comes off as cheap (not to mention, boooring) when at the end of his intro, Art tries to make money off of his 'dead momma' with a sales pitch for a dvd that comes in a reproduction of her urn.

Just Wanna Dance - Summer Samba Magic

Last party of the Summer at W. Lounge this Saturday. Spread the love...

KCPW will be doing a live, in-studio interview with my REFLECTIVE SKIN collaborators and I on Friday morning between 10:30 and 11am. You can stream it live if you don't have an old fashioned radio.

Reflective Skin

Some of you may have heard about a certain project I've been collaborating on for the Utah Arts Festival this year. I was very lucky to be asked by my friend Gary Vlasic, a multi-faceted artist who has done some amazing installations for the festival in years past to help concieve and produce a Sound/Art peice for 2006. It's been an exciting journey and with the expert help of musical engineer Erik Dodd we're about to get this dream off the ground.

So, with the festival fast approaching, you might start to see and hear some press happening around said project we've titled REFELCTIVE SKIN. We did a KUER radio interview that should begin running during Morning Edition starting Thursday and I'll post more information after our first performances. I would love to hear feedback from anyone who catches it, please feel free to use the comments forum below this post if you want.

Additionally, I'm programming the music for the Filthy Gorgeous fashion show that will be taking place once every night on the steps of the City & County building.

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Another new feature here at NCM is going to be my regular cataloging of what I like to call ART CRIMES AGAINST HUMANITY. Art and beauty is in the eye of the beholder as they say. Well, my eye isn't so easily fooled, and some things are so hideous they simply must be held up to the light for public mockery.

Our first installment is a "painting" that resides on the wall of a reception area in my office building. On the second floor it lurks, just out of view until you reach the top of the staircase where it proceeds to projectile vomit into your retinas. Everyday we suffer in silence. Lesson: Caution must be applied when anything in the vein of Spin-Art comes across the auction block at your local thrift store. Add this to a professional setting and... BOO!