"What if an actor could do that for you?" -- Anne Carson from the introduction of Grief Lessons (four plays by Euripides)
From Anne Carson's introduction to her translation of four tragic plays by Euripides:
"Why does tragedy exist? Because you are full of rage. Why are you full of rage? Because you are full of grief. Ask a headhunter why he cuts off human heads. He’ll say that rage impels him and rage is born of grief. The act of severing and tossing away the victim’s head enables him to throw away the anger of all his bereavements.
Perhaps you think this does not apply to you. Yet you recall the day your wife, driving you to your mother’s funeral, turned left instead of right at the intersection and you had to scream at her so loud other drivers turned to look. When you tore off her head and threw it out the window they nodded, changed gears, drove away.
There is a theory that watching unbearable stories about other people lost in grief and rage is good for you —- may cleanse you of your darkness.
Grief and rage —- you need to contain that, to put a frame around it, where it can play itself out without you or your kin having to die. There is a theory that watching unbearable stories about other people lost in grief and rage is good for you —- may cleanse you of your darkness. Do you want to go down to the pits of yourself all alone? Not much. What if an actor could do it for you? Isn’t that why they are called actors? They act for you. You sacrifice them to action. And this sacrifice is a mode of deepest intimacy of you with your own life. Within it you watch {yourself} act out the present or possible organization of your nature. You can be aware of your own awareness of this nature as you never are at the moment of experience. The actor, by reiterating you, sacrifices a moment of his own life in order to give you a story of yours."
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Some of my favorite albums this year:
Charles Bradley, "No Time for Dreaming"
Pissed off soul, great voice, and ummmmmmm.... great horns. How often can you say that?
Mournful Congregation, 'The Book of Kings'
On the other end of the spectrum, a more melodic funeral doom for the kids. "Deities rose, and were greeted in shame". I remember when that happened too; it was a real saddy.
Anna Calvi "s/t"
Seems Springsteen, Chris Isaacs, and cold wave inspired. Amazing guitar, weird vocals, minimalist until the violins kick in. Pretty haunting drag queen-inspired makeup.
Cliff Martinez, "Drive (soundtrack)"
Supposedly the score was disqualified from academy consideration. I like to listen to this driving in Los Angeles. I am a nerd.
Disma, "Toward the Megalith"
I assume that thing above is the megalith. Don't go there! I've never been a huge death metal fan but was swept up in Immolation's album last year. Disma gives me that same ear full of maggots feeling, though admittedly, I couldn't name another album of the same subgenre from this year.
Austra - "Feel it Break"
Weird voice I'll probably get tired of, but I like it for now.
Batillus - "Furnace"
Sort of this year's Cough for me I guess..
Warm Ghost - "Uncut Diamond"
Johann Johannsson - "The Miner's Hymns"
Big Freedia - 'Big Freedia Hitz Vol. 1'
"Free dog stroller parking"... a dance that swept the nation.
Wolves in the Throne Room, "Celestial Lineage"
I feel like there has been some backlash at the growing popularity of this band, but I still think this is a great movement toward the mysticism of north american black metal.
Ilsa - "tutti il colori del buio"
What a band! True metal underground! Can't even find an album video!
What did I miss? Really, I have no idea.
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;)
Jonathan pushed out of bounds stylistically with this Detective Warlock cover, and it looks great. Maybe we'll use this one for the collected edition. hmmmmm...
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