Steve's Three Rules of Art

"Art is why I get up in the morning. My definition ends there." - Ani Difranco

1. Art is where I find it.



The experience of art is inherently subjective and reflects the great variety of bio-cultural influences from which we create our personalities. Art is self-identifying like subcultural affiliation. At the very least, Marcel Duchamp showed us that the artistic experience is a relationship between the artist, the piece and the audience. This relationship can be subtle and deeply personal, so no one of us can predict the quality of that relationship in another person. Therefore, art is not where *you* find it, but where *I* find it.




2. Good art moves me.



We consider the tragic film as worthy as the comedy. I love the songs that make me cry as much as I love the songs that make me dance. Art pieces which celebrate the dark and seedy are as powerful as cathedrals built as monuments to human perfectibility. I consider a work of art "good" if it provokes emotion in me, and I make no judgement as to the quality of that emotion. I generally prefer to be happy, so I prefer to expose myself to art that tends to make me feel that way. However, this rule gives me a measuring stick by which I can compare art in various media and from various backgrounds, based on my relative emotional experience.




3. Great art moves me in new ways upon repeated consideration.



Some of my favorite albums completely baffled me upon early listening. I didn't laugh at "Pootie Tang" the first time I watched it. Aimee Mann's mid-90s hit, "That's Just What You Are" sounds fresh and different to me from time to time as my marriage becomes ever better seasoned. I do not "interpret" great art: great art reflects me. This is the reason great art lingers through time and becomes classical. We see new subtleties in the Mona Lisa, and we keep discovering Romeo and Juliet in our hearts, a few hundred years later. I believe art, at its core, is an instinctual activity. Artists simply can't help themselves. "To create and express" is as good an answer as any to the question of "why are we here?" So the greatest of art reveals its true depth slowly, and only with time and space.

Top 10 Songs of 2009

2009 was a great year in music. Check out these collaborations, hybridizations and commentaries. If you've partied with me at all this year, you've heard them.

10. N.A.S.A. - The People Tree (f David Byrne, Chali 2na, Gift of Gab and Z-Trip)
    

    I think the guest artist list here really says it all.

    
    
    
    
9. The Very Best - Warm Heart of Africa (f Ezra Koenig)
   

   Sleeper jam of the year. I don't think a lot of Americans heard this song, but I really love it.

   
   
   
   
8. Big Business - The Drift
   

   This band shows off their form with a heavy, minimal and melodic sing-along. Sample lyric: "Cant' draw a map with honey: not a lesson, that's just good advice."

   
   
   
   
7. Basement Jaxx - Raindrops
   

   This song brought tears of joy multiple times this year. Hands up!

   
   
   
   
6. Das Racist - Combination Pizza Hut and Taco Bell (Wallpaper remix)
   

   Love it or hate it, this postmodern take on urban culture is undeniably catchy and funny.

   
   
   
   
5. Julian Casablancas - Out Of The Blue
   

   Here we see Casablancas flexing his lyricist muscles. This song is beautifully constructed and poignant in its simplicity. BONUS: Plethora of sing-along harmonizing opportunities.

   
   
   
   
4. The Lonely Island - I'm On A Boat (f T-Pain)
   

   This is the song that made me love T-Pain, since he's clearly having a great time making fun of himself. This song will freak out a party, and leave people trying to pretend they don't know the words. Hit the deck, but stay on your toes.

   
   
   
   
3. Jay-Z and Alicia Keys - Empire State Of Mind
   

   I don't want to be down. I'm totally West Coast. I can't front on this song, though: it's a fantastic performance, full of soul and passion from both Jay and Alicia. Long live the Roc.

   
   
   
   
2. Mos Def - Twilite Speedball
   

   "Having a good time... every day." This is a video of a performance I got to see this year thanks to my superfriend Leslie. Mos never stops. He makes it look easy. I'm honored to be alive while he's making such fresh grooves.

   
   
   
   
1. USS - Laces Out
   

   Here's what I hear here: Ska, Big Beat, Hip-hop, Motown, New Wave, Beatles, Springsteen. That's the way to my heart.

   
   
   

Top 10 Albums of 2009

10. Silversun Pickups - Swoon

This is a record I intend to return to in the summertime. It's refreshing and rockin, both serious and light at the same time. I'm happy this band picked up where Smashing Pumpkins left off.

9. Pyramids With Nadja - Pyramids With Nadja

The lone Hydra Head release on this year's top 10, this record shows the real beauty available in the ambient metal form. Most folks I've played this for have said, "this is metal?"

8. Mastodon - Crack The Skye

Nobody wonders whether this album is metal. My favorite metal album of the year, "Crack The Skye" is smart and fearless. It's also my choice for saddest album of the year, and I'm amazed this band lived through the process of writing this music.

7. Julian Casablancas - Phrazes For The Young

While seeing 80s-style clothing around town still freaks me out, I'm very happy about the way artists are revisiting the late 80s alternative and new wave scenes. This album is poppy, accessible and witty. It's quite a good step forward for Casablancas.

6. The Difference Engine - Breadmaker

While they call themselves a "steampunk" band, this album is pure power pop. There's really pretty guitar sounds here - kind of dreamy and airy. My intuition says this record will yield some more gems upon continued listening.

5. BK-One - Radio Do Canibal

BK-One has been Brother Ali's touring DJ for a while, and he carries on the hip-hop tradition in a very inclusive and positive manner. This album focuses on Brazilian influences, but is so full of guest verses and familiar beats

4. Basement Jaxx - Scars

I don't think these guys care what anyone thinks. This album is all over the place, and continues to surprise me. Jaxx are strong as ever, and "Scars" is as proper a party album as they come. There's guest artists on almost every song, and the global scope of their samples tells me these guys have been having a lot of fun digging deep in the bins.

3. Brother Ali - Us

This is overall a slower, more pensive album than Ali's previous full-length, "The Undisputed Truth," but is a clear example of an amazing artist still improving, still focusing his power on really changing the world. Brother Ali and Rhymesayers absolutely represent the hopeful future of underground hip-hop.

2. USS (Ubiquitous Synergy Seeker) - Questamation

Here is my confession: this is the band I've been hoping to hear for a long time. I believe the future of rock music is all about hybridization, and USS embraces this idea wholeheartedly. Equal parts fresh-faced rock and knob-twiddler-party, this album defies categorization and keeps me guessing.

1. Mos Def - The Ecstatic

Without a doubt, "The Ecstatic" is a masterpiece. 16 songs in 45 minutes and consistently fascinating from beginning to end, this album stands out as a rebuttal to anyone who said rap music was a fad, or that MCs don't have real musical talent. Mos has perfect delivery: it's expressive, powerful and subtle. His rhymes are playful, abstract and evocative, and he sounds like he's having a fantastic time. In contrast to some other great albums this year, Mos barely shares the stage here. Talib Kweli stops by near the end of the album, and "Auditorium" features Slick Rick dropping an amazing verse from the point of view of an American soldier in Iraq. 2009 was a great year for underground music, so turn your radio off and fall in love with an independent label or two!