A Burst of Flavor for Your Walls

Imagine a pack of fruit-striped gum morphed into a wall hanging; what comes to mind? Well the folks at Flavor Paper have gone there, creating colorful, juicy wallpapers that pack a real punch. One of my favorites is their Fruits of Design brocade-patterned paper in gold and blue (see below).

An Auditory Masterpiece

Anathallo (Greek): to shoot up, sprout again, grow green again, flourish again

Anathallo is an incredibly talented band that has flown below the radar for far too long. Their live performances are hard to forget, as a whole slew of instruments and artists crowd onto a tiny stage for a true show-stopper complete with stomping, giant stamp up drums, and bells! Beyond the band's vocal and instrumental abilities, their lyrics are also astounding. This group has such a captivating way of weaving deep, difficult themes into their songs. In one example, Kasa No Hone, the band crafted a poem-like Japanese tune that turns on the themes of brokenness and restoration. This band has something to teach both listener and musician; their music is neither monotonous nor fadish. While one song may feature heavy vocals, intermittent yelling and six or seven different instruments, another may be completely instrumental and involve a small number of players/instruments.

Linked below is a little treat from the band's "Canopy Glow" album:.


This band captures well the essence of a poem entitled "Unexpressed" by Adelaide Anne Procter from her Legends and Lyrics series. Here's a bit:

Dwells within the soul of every Artist
More than all his effort can express;
And he knows the best remains unuttered;
Sighing at what we call his success.

Vainly he may strive; he dare not tell us
All the sacred mysteries of the skies:
Vainly he may strive; the deepest beauty
Cannot be unveiled to mortal eyes.

Like Anathallo, Procter has a distinctive quality about her work and a remarkable talent for using imagery to tell complex lessons in a beautiful way. Both Procter and Anathallo have a strong grasp on what it means to show, rather than tell, and as a result have garnered audiences in varied settings and from varied backgrounds. To understand either of their approaches as artists, it takes more than a passing glance, but by digging deeper one may find gems of immeasurable worth.

Felicita

Seven Pounds and Pursuit of Happyness director Gabriele Muccino is at it again, this time with his release of Italian flick Baciami Ancora. Although this film has yet to hit theaters, its trailers suggest a plot where love and adventure intertwine. As I've obviously yet to see this film, I can't comment on its content. However, Lorenzo "Jovanotti" Cherubini recently released a beautiful music video in the spirit of the film, which I will make a few comments on below.

What is striking about this video? The communal family feel; the images of simple delight in relationship, landscape, and community. Each of the moments captured in this brief video are like portraits capturing the images many of us hold dearly: a big family-style dinner, dancing, the delight of children, and the pleasure of spending time with those you love. One of my favorite scenes from this little piece is where Jovanotti is bouncing around and raising his hands with the family that is playing in the ocean. It reminds me of the cover of Sigur Ros' "Med Sud I Eyrum Vid Spilum" album, with bare-bottomed youths running across a highway. It has the same spirit, a spirit of delight exhibited by people who are fully in a moment and thus able to taste a hint of something spectacular. As the viewers of such moments, we can taste it too. Watching something like this leaves one feeling more attuned to life's lunar eclipses as they quickly pass.

Teach us Delight in simple things,
And Mirth that has no bitter springs;
Forgiveness free of evil done,
And Love to all men 'neath the sun!
-Rudyard Kipling