I’m enthralled with this MASSIVE collection of art/word/sound/power being released by Penny Ante in August. (I just pre-ordered a copy this very night, so ya know I ain’t jivin’!) 320 pages of interviews, artwork, photography, comics, etc. contributed by 80 different experimental artists, mostly veteran audionauts of the DIY, punk, noise and experimental music scenes from 1980-the present. Plus the limited edition CDs that accompany the 1st 2000 copies feature a grip of unreleased tracks by well-known bands and stuff I haven’t heard yet by avant-garde noise projects.

Check it out:

Direct Link to “Three” on Penny-Ante website

DIY publishing house, Penny-Ante has compiled what will be their third anthology, dubbed a “Mag/Book” by readers, properly titled Three, which will hit streets September 15.

Three marks Penny-Ante’s largest issue yet, 320 pages (with no advertisements), with over 80 contributors ranging from New York-based artist TERENCE KOH to prolific lo-fi artist JAD FAIR (HALF JAPANESE) to garage’s godfather SEAN BONNIWELL (of 60s garage band, THE MUSIC MACHINE). A portion of book sales will be given to Chicago-based nonprofit ARTS OF LIFE, which provides art and music programs for adults with developmental disorders.

Compiling indie icons into one forum, Three’s pages feature personal art, photographs, and written submissions from the likes of Robert Pollard (GUIDED BY VOICES), Thurston Moore (SONIC YOUTH), UK’s garage god BILLY CHILDISH (Damaged Goods), New Zealand’s CHRIS KNOX (Tall Dwarfs, The Enemy, Toy Love, The Nothing), Roger Miller (MISSION OF BURMA), Martin Phillipps (THE CHILLS), Bettina Koster (from 80s German post-punk band, MALARIA!), Kill Rock Star’s riot grrrl Allison Wolfe (BRATMOBILE, PARTYLINE), influential acid-rocker Helios Creed (CHROME), Rob Roberge (of the significant art-punk band URINALS), 4-track forefather Martin Newell (CLEANERS FROM VENUS), Mick Farren (of the 60s proto-punk band THE DEVIANTS), psychedelic electronic artist Simeon Coxe of SILVER APPLES, artist Jill Emery (previously of HOLE, MAZZY STAR), New York photographer Mark C (of 80s no wave band LIVE SKULL), and many more.

Also featured:

JIM SMITH (union organizer by day, and owner of Los Angeles all-ages venue THE SMELL by night) interviews inspiring DIY force and singer/songwriter BILLY BRAGG.

Others interviewed: IAN MACKAYE (Dischord Records, Fugazi, Minor Threat), ROBERT POLLARD, John Whitson from label HOLY MOUNTAIN, music director @ WFMU: Brian Turner, George Parsons (head of DREAM MAGAZINE), Caleb Braaten: owner and operator of New York’s SACRED BONES RECORDS (BLANK DOGS, PINK NOISE, FACTUMS), New York-based artist MAYA HAYUK, Los Angeles-based performance/artist DAWN KASPER, and more.

Paired with such indie veterans are music leaders from today’s generation: Cassie Ramone (New York’s VIVIAN GIRLS), Joe DeNardo (GROWING – Social Registry), Matt Valentine (MV/EE – Ecstatic Peace Records & Tapes), John Dwyer (San Francisco’s THEE OH SEES), In The Red Records newcomers TV GHOST, Portland’s Honey Owens (VALET – Kranky), Phil Elverum (MICROPHONES, MT EERIE – K Records), Finland experimental rockers CIRCLE, Matt Maust (COLD WAR KIDS), Stephen McCarty (DEAD MEADOW – Matador Records), Sumi Ink Club (aka LUCKY DRAGONS), Wynne Greenwood (TRACY+THE PLASTICS), ROBEDOOR (Not Not Fun), ex-Phantom Limbs frontman Loto Ball (now of Chicago’s LOTO BALL SHOW), POCAHAUNTED (Not Not Fun), ARRINGTON DE DIONYSO (OLD TIME RELIJUN – K Records), Australia’s dark rockers NAKED ON THE VAGUE and much more.

Penny-Ante also “ups the ante” in the art and lit department in issue Three bringing in well-respected New York-based artists TERENCE KOH (Peres Projects), Ukranian American artist MAYA HAYUK, Swedish artist HANNA LIDEN, and MATHEW CERLETTY. From Chicago, Gregory Jacobsen (also from LOVELY LITTLE GIRLS), Los Angeles’ Julian Hoeber (Blum & Poe), Dawn Kasper (Circus Gallery), Jed Ochmanek and Portland’s Liz Haley.

Writers include the well-loved BETT WILLIAMS (Out Magazine, Flaunt Magazine, St. Martin’s Press), novelist and short story writer LARRY FONDATION (Fictional International, Harvard Business Review, Raw Dog Screaming Press), and ANDREW POGANY (poet and editor-in-chief at Flaunt Magazine) + many more.

COMPLIMENTARY CD INFO

FEATURES MUSIC BY:

JAD FAIR, ROBERT POLLARD, BILLY CHILDISH, CHRIS KNOX (THE NOTHING), ROGER MILLER, GROWING, BETTINA KOSTER, INT’L SHADES, NAKED ON THE VAGUE, ROBEDOOR, LUCKY DRAGONS, LOTO BALL SHOW, TV GHOST, PHIL ELVERUM, ARRINGTON DE DIONYSO, WARMER MILKS and ADAM PAYNE.

PLUS:

– Unreleased track from CROCK, the brand new music project from Book #2 contributor Sam Coomes (QUASI) & Spencer Seim of HELLA.
– Music from artist Maya Hayuk’s project with Andrew Deutsch, OPEN ARMS
– An unreleased track from PHIL ELVERUM paying tribute to OLD TIME RELIJUN
– An unreleased track from Book #2 contributors and guest editors to Three, THE MOON UPSTAIRS
– From the archives, a previously unreleased track from THE CHILLS, “Find Your Own Way Home”

PREORDERS FOR THREE AVAILABLE NOW: http://www.penny-ante.net (and will ship as early as August 15th). Three is a limited edition (2000) squarebound soft cover BOOK that will ship with a complimentary CD featuring music by contributors (Robert Pollard, The Chills, Billy Childish, Jad Fair, Chris Knox + more), plus a rather large poster for a wall’s enjoyment.

DIRECT LINK: http://www.penny-ante.net/three.html

So many bands and music fans are concerned about the future of the Manium – an all ages venue in downtown Olympia that the city is trying to shut down. If you have ever been involved with an all-ages venue in any city in the US, you know the kind of problems they face. Instead of being appreciated for getting kids off the streets and away from the television, they are viewed as sources of illegal activities and the corruption of society. Maybe there are a few rare cases where this happens, but usually the venue is a boon to society, especially a culture that neglects its youth more and more and fails to provide healthy gathering spaces. ([More →])

The RIAA is responsible for defending our rights to ringtones? Talk about a surprising plot twist! With all the talk of Apple iPhones and ringtone technology, the truth is revealed: creating your own ringtones and using them on your phone is explicitly legal thanks to RIAA. That’s right, the originators and biggest defenders of DIY ringtone access is the same agency famous for SLAPping toddlers and grannies with music piracy lawsuits. It turns out, in a move very similar to the tactics used by Clear Channel and Payola, that the RIAA wanted to “distribute ringtones of its artists’ music without having to pay the artist big money to do so…” Therefore, the RIAA convinced the Copyright Office that ringtones of copyrighted music is not a derivative work, and thus does not infringe on the songwriter’s and performers’ copyrights. The results of winning their persuasive argument, is that anyone can create a ringtone without a license for the music. As long as you legally own the rights to the music (which includes rights granted to the consumer upon purchase of an album/CD/mp3 etc.) you can legally make a ringtone out of it. However, this does not give you permission to sell, distribute or otherwise commercialize your creation. So, does this mean junglists can get sample clearance if they make a ringtone of the sample they want first? ([More →])

When I needed some fresh music today, I headed over to one of my favorite music streaming sites – the ever clever Podington Bear. Podington makes incredibly sweet, fun electronica music and makes it easily accessible in a stand-alone music player or podcast subscription. Well, quite unsuspecting of the momentous occasion I was about to encounter, I clicked over to PBear’s online den and LO and Behold! Today, Wednesday July 25th, Podington Bear posted his 100th hand-made track of 2007! That’s right, the prolific little bear has hand-crafted 100 songs since the first of January. He posts a new song every other day, despite being on the road pretty much constantly. ([More →])

How do all-organic, fair-trade speakers sound? I have yet to try, but this has got to be the next best thing – HEMP speakers for your home stereo, your hemp guitar, or your dub soundsystem. Check these beauties out! Hemp board cabinet construction, with a bamboo outer shell. Fully-loaded with hemp cones in the drivers. Who would turn such a concept into reality and then offer Hand-Dyed One-of-a-KIND Speaker Grills to go with? Hard Truckers does.

([More →])

Those of you in the NYC area this weekend are hopefully excited about the FREE Citysol Party. You didn’t forget did you? Well, just in case you did, here’s a reminder…

The clean energy, interactive art and music festival opened tonight at 6pm with performances that included bicycle-powered turntablism by DJ Mistakes! Wow! The wheels of the bike turn the wheels of wax? Too cool! But, wait – you haven’t missed out, the festival runs all weekend long and there is great stuff happening Friday, Saturday and Sunday too! ([More →])