Razzle Rose

OccupyMaine in Monument Square, Portland

2011-10-12T15:19:00.000-04:00

Cassidy Cupero: "Being youthful, its easy to be bold, so absolutely take advantage of it..."

2011-05-16T20:26:00.014-04:00

Member Profiles is a new feature where we talk with a new member and learn more about their artwork, their interests, and their opinions on how the art scene in Bangor and beyond can be better.

RR: Tell me about yourself and your artwork.

Cassidy Cupero: I'm Cassidy and 17, I don't believe in grudges or lack of representation. I build my life only around the most influential people I can find with the most vast tastes and hobbies. I love owls and anything vintage and I probably don't belong in central Maine, but for some reason I live here.

As for my artwork, I pretty much only do photography but every now and again a pen and paper flows okay. I am actually not even that advanced, I hardly know what the "widgets" on my Nikon 55mm does... I never had the opportunity to get into photography class while I was in high school but I had some training from a friend and read some books on it.

My portfolio isn't that big, but that's mostly because I only take pictures of what I really, really love. I could never take someone's senior pictures unless they wanted something real original. My least favorite thing to take pictures of is landscapes. They drive me crazy.

RR: Where do you want to take your photography skills? What would you love to photograph? Any projects in mind?

Cassidy: I would like to take pictures of models and maybe do some advertisements for local handmade stuff and have it get published or appreciated somewhere, but without having any real training. I want to skip taking wedding, senior, family pictures and still do really good for myself.

If I could say I had a project in mind, it would have to be doing a shoot with my friend Zamora on a nice murky day. In the bigger scheme of projects in mind, I want to do an activist type of shoot but definitely still need to think on that one.

RR: Why do you think it's important for youth to express themselves creatively?

Cassidy:Because people doubt youth. Youth are told you're not in "the real world," but you are and you're not held back from anything. So when you're creative, its like you're showing that you're bigger than all that, and that you can't be stopped, not even a little. Youth is always shut down and not taken seriously but if you can prove yourself in outstanding ways that you're a hoot then you're untouchable in my opinion. Being youthful, its easy to be bold, so absolutely take advantage of it. When someone under 20 says, "No," its stands out a lot more than someone 40 saying, "Yes."

RR: Do you think there are enough opportunities for that?

Cassidy: No, absolutely not. I don't feel like youth are supported a bit. Every time in my community when it came time to speak out youth was shut down before they could mutter to one another that they were uncomfortable. The art programs in my schools were hardly supported and when we asked to do more about it, the answers were always delayed. There is hardly anything for people out of high school and not yet in college to do also. It's really hard to find ways to get involved or ways to be noticed when opportunities are weak.

RR: What could be better about Orono/Bangor area, for young people?

Cassidy: More gatherings! I just moved from Asheville, North Carolina and every Friday night there was a huge drumming circle from 4 till 8 or something, everyone went to it at least once. There would be people hula hooping, people selling jewelery and miscellaneous items, upwards of 50 people playing drums, restaurants would see more business and it was just all in all a really good time. I would love to see something like that happen around here, just something simple and free once a week that helped out everyone and was easy and fun!

It's really hard to be a teenager in Maine sometimes because honestly it gets pretty boring if you don't have any money. Since Orono is a college town I would expect more from them, even like some stupid parade just to bring people out of there houses every once in a while! I hate that everything is decided by your age, I can't go to a club on a Friday night with friends because I'm not old enough, its almost embarrassing. It would be cool to have a community art show too, and more music too-- make it a charity event-- anything just get us out of our houses and doing something fun. ✦

Images (from the top): Cassidy Cupero (self portrait), "Down," "Kate #5

Interview with Meaghan LaSala: "The movement for Media Justice is becoming a playground where progressive movements converge & forge alliances..."

2011-05-06T16:18:00.012-04:00

Meaghan LaSala is an Americorps Vista outreach coordinator with WERU Community Radio. She's also the host of the monthly WERU show Bangor Area Commons, covering a wide range of arts, cultural, and political issues and events from the Bangor area, with live guests and local call-ins. Media Collective organizer Martin Chartrand and I met Meaghan when we had the opportunity to talk about Bangor Media Collective on her show last December.

These days, she is also working an another project in conjunction with the station-- a grassroots media conference at Unity College this September. The conference aims to bring together media groups, artists and activists from all over Maine to meet, learn and strategize.

Here, Meaghan explains what the conference is, how it can help you improve your media effectiveness whether you're an activist or an artist, and how the conference is part of the larger struggle for media justice.

If you would like to find out more about the conference or get involved, you can contact Meaghan by email at meaghan@weru.org. There will be a meeting for those interested in organizing the conference May 20 at WERU in Orland-- perhaps we'll see you there!

RR: Please tell me about the media conference you're organizing.

Meaghan: I’m working with WERU-FM Community Radio to host the first ever Maine Grassroots Media Conference at Unity College on September 10th. The conference will bring together community media projects, journalists, grassroots organizations, artists and anyone interested in building strong, vibrant independent media in Maine. There will be opportunities to share skills and stories, network, and increase awareness of grassroots media resources.

RR: Organizing this conference has been a part of your work with WERU Community Radio. Where did the genesis for the conference come from?

Meaghan: I joined the WERU family at a critical time for independent media. I began working with the station last August, and since then public funding for community radio has come under attack. I saw this as just one aspect of a continuing trend towards media consolidation and privatization.

At the same time, the national movement for Media Justice is becoming a playground where progressive movements converge and forge new alliances beyond single issues. I see that WERU is a hub for our community, where neighbors of all stripes and interests work together to create collective access to the airwaves. I think a movement for Media Justice in Maine, a movement to bring underserved voices to the forefront of public dialogues, could create a similar cohesiveness across our state.

RR: What are some of the most exciting events/workshops planned for this conference?

Meaghan: I think the most exciting thing about the conference is the spectrum of skills and topics we will be covering. Whether you have years of media experience, or are excited to learn the basics, there will be opportunities for all to learn how to share their perspectives more effectively.

Personally, I’m excited to learn tools for investigative reporting. I’m most excited to learn about the work that others are doing in our corner of the world.

RR: What has the process been like pulling this together?

Meaghan: It’s been great collaborating with John Zavodny from Unity College. Unity College has been very supportive in providing a space for this event, and John is helping to get the word out about the conference in the academic community. We are now looking for presenters and for volunteer support in organizing the conference. The next organizers’ meeting is May 20th. Please let me know if you would like to involved!

RR: How can activists and artists in Maine benefit from a grassroots media conference?

Meaghan: Activists can learn how to create media for themselves, which is the best way to frame your own story. They can learn how to get better press coverage. They can learn how to do better research and community building within their own movements. Artists can learn new methods, new ways to share their work and network with other artists and creative organizations.

RR: What to you is the most rewarding thing about doing organizing around media in central Maine? What is the most challenging?

Meaghan: I’m helping the WERU do outreach in Greater Bangor, now that it is broadcasting on its new signal there, 99.9FM. I like doing this work because I get to build relationships with all kinds of people, and it pushes me to fully understand the issues that my community is facing.

One of the challenges that we face as a station is the distance that people need to travel, because our listening area is so rural. It has been exciting coming up with creative solutions to this problem, like brainstorming with Main Street Music Studios about producing content for WERU in their downtown Bangor studios, and training Bangor area teachers to teach audio production right in the classroom. ✦

Concert with Arborea, Noel Walsh, Joe Gates and BreadRose

2011-04-10T20:09:00.002-04:00

Saturday, April 16 · 7:00pm - 10:00pm
VFW Hall · 64 Water Street, Old Town ME

Join us for a magical night with Maine folk duo Arborea! BreadRose's folk, noise and spoken word, Joe Gates on fretless guitar, and Noel Walsh will serenade you with rich sounds to open the evening. Then Arborea will sweep you away.

"Maine folk duo Arborea creates timeless music, haunted by deep shadows. Their songs are bathed in shimmering harmonics, spectral slide, and positively spooky banjo. The songs also evoke a kind of mysterious quality, in which you are never quite sure what the songs are about, but they seem to touch a place in your soul that instinctively understands." -Dirty Linen Magazine

"Magic you can visit, again and again."-Phil McMullen, Terrascope

$5 at the door. The end (or is it the beginning?) of the world never sounded so beautiful.

Listen now at http://www.myspace.com/arborea2.

Bangor Media Collective and The Maine Edge to hold monthly contest

2011-04-10T01:11:00.002-04:00

The Bangor Media Collective is collaborating with The Maine Edge on a monthly photography contest.

May's theme is Maine in Spring. The subject of the photos should capture the season in a way that uniquely reflects on the state. The winner will be published in the May 18 issue of The Maine Edge.

Photographers of all skill levels are encouraged to submit photos via e-mail to bangorcommunitymedia@gmail.com with "Photo Contest" as the subject line.

Deadline for the May contest is May 1. Include your name, home town, website if you have one, and a brief caption if desired (no more than 50 words).

By Katy England

(Original link)

Statement on Dismantling of Maine's Labor History Mural

2011-03-28T18:47:00.007-04:00

The removal of Maine's labor history mural from the Maine Department of Labor has brought national attention to Maine and ignited protests from artists, labor supporters and many others who are simply concerned about what they see as a Governor's attempt to rewrite history to suit his tastes and encourage an amorphously-defined pro-business atmosphere.

Numerous arts organizations and businesses have come out against the removal of the mural, among them the Union of Maine Visual Artists, Maine College of Art, Susan Maasch Fine Art and Aucocisco Galleries, as well as hundreds of individual artists. They join many labor supporters in opposing the removal of the mural, which was commissioned by the Department of Labor in large part with federal monies and created by artist Judy Taylor. In an interesting twist, the US Department of Labor has now asked that the state return the federal monies used to help fund the mural.

Bangor Media Collective prepared a statement on the removal, which circulated via Facebook and email. A copy of the statement was sent to each member of the Portland City Council when the Collective learned that the city of Portland was slated to vote on whether to accept the mural. I am delighted to report that, likely encouraged by the voices of disapproval from thousands of Mainers as well as personal convictions, the Council chose not to put this item on the agenda:

Councilor Dory Waxman said she does not think the city should get involved with the mural.

"That was not the intention of the Portland City Council," Waxman said. "I think I can safely say that on behalf of all the councilors."

Waxman also noted that there are rules for state-commissioned art, and those rules need to be explored.

"I really question whether it is the governor's right to remove (the mural)," Waxman said.
Portland Press Herald, March 29 2011 (link)

You can keep updated on the unfolding situation by visiting the Saving the "History of Maine Labor" Mural blog.

Statement on Dismantling of Maine's Labor History Mural

Bangor Media Collective is a group of over forty artists, performers, promoters and supportive citizens in the greater Bangor area. We believe that the arts serves a vital humanitarian purpose in our lives. Art has the opportunity to affirm life, expand possibilities, encourage compassion, and change hearts. As such, art is never neutral. To claim that art in the public or governmental sphere "should" be neutral is to engage in a particularly insidious form of partisanship.

It is with this understanding that we strongly condemn the intention of Maine's Governor Paul LePage to remove the 36-foot mural depicting Maine's labor history from the Maine Department of Labor building. Just as art cannot be neutral, neither can government. In fact, we do not want a government that pretends neutrality, but rather a government that supports the right of working families to provide for themselves. The mural, which depicts historical movements and moments in labor history, provides a historical and artistic backdrop for the rights of working families today. If the mural presents a bias, it is precisely the type of bias that we wish to encourage in our legislators, businesspeople, and fellow citizens.

We urge Governor LePage and staff to restore the mural, and Portland City Council, legislators, business owners, non-profit organizations, and all parties involved in the proposed dismantling and move of the artwork to reject their roles in the removal of this artwork and to take steps to ensure that the artwork stays in place, as a symbol of our dignity as workers and human beings.

Photo by Suzanne Anderson.

Interview with Bangor Bassists 4 Bassists: "Every time I leave I've picked up a few pointers..."

2011-03-15T20:22:00.007-04:00

Bangor's chapter of Bassists 4 Bassists meets monthly at Main Street Music Studios on Main Street in Bangor. The second Tuesday of every month from 8 to 10 pm the front room of the studio becomes a relaxed forum for jamming, talking about technique and discussing equipment. Brad O'Brien, who helped found the group and recruited many of its members, was unable to make it the night I stopped in, but his name came up more than a few times.

The meeting began with the three participants (there are sometimes as many as six or seven in attendance, but the count varies) talking equipment, plugging in and quietly playing. A guy passes through from one of the rooms in the back of the building. "Can you mod MXR pedals?" he asks Ken, a veteran bass player who performs with a couple of area bands. The guy rattles off some specs. Ken nods. "Yeah, that's something I'd consider. Give me a call." This is clearly the place to go for bass questions of all kinds.

To connect with Bassists 4 Bassists, visit their Facebook page, or come down to Main Street Music Studios on the second Tuesday of the month.

Interview with Yikes! Studio: "Being a small business person myself without a lot of capital to work with I feel a kinship with these women"

2011-02-28T00:03:00.013-05:00

Collective member Suzanne Anderson of Yikes! Studio is a polymer clay jewelry artist whose art is fun, elegant and innovative. Her latest project is a fundraiser for the international nonprofit organization Heifer International, whose work empowers women and families with the gift of livestock animals.

The organization's website describes their mission this way: "Heifer International is a non-profit organization whose goal is to help end world hunger and poverty through self-reliance & sustainability." Among organizations that address hunger and opportunities for women, Heifer International is a standout, with measurable successes as well as the less measurable, but immeasurably valuable, experiences of empowerment. Suzanne (of Lucerne, Maine) and I talk about the necklace she is creating as a fundraiser for Heifer.

Click below to donate $5 and enter to win! You can use a Paypal account or click the "Continue" link in the bottom left of the payment screen to use a credit or debit card.

RR: What was your first experience with Heifer International?

Suzanne: I had heard about Heifer over the years and had always been interested. I love the idea behind it and have a great love of animals and farms. One year we gave as Christmas presents shares in animals through Heifer. The animal gifts help children and families around the world receive training that helps them become self-reliant through sustainable agriculture. Heifer has helped more that 12 million families since 1944 in more than 125 countries.

RR: What about this particular organization that makes you excited to support it with your artistic work?

Suzanne: I have been wanting to tie into some kind of charity or fundraising work for some time but hadn’t quite figured out how I wanted to go about it. We receive the Heifer International magazine and was looking through it one day recently when I saw the “Do Something WiLD” campaign. I felt an immediate connection and I knew right away that it was something that I could get behind with my work in some way.

RR: Tell me about the "Do Something WiLD" campaign.

Suzanne: “Do Something WiLD” (Women in Livestock Development) is a Heifer campaign specifically targeting the role Heifer plays in empowering women in developing countries. When the earning opportunities for women are increased the effect is positive for the whole community. Heifer also plays a part in educational opportunities for women which I am really excited about. Being a small business person myself without a lot of capital to work with I feel a kind of kinship with these women. Also, my pieces that I create are sold to women almost exclusively so I thought it was a great way to promote Heifer and do something good.

RR: You are making a necklace that is raffled off to raise money for Heifer International. Please tell me more about how the fundraiser works.

Suzanne: I am creating a necklace that I hope represents women all over the world. It will be raffled off at $5.00 a chance with 100% of the proceeds to go to Heifer and specifically “Do Something WiLD”. My web site will have a page for making the donation at www.yikesstudio.com. People will be able to safely make donations through Paypal, which will automatically enter them to win the necklace. I also will be at a Beads and Baubles show April 8 & 9 at the Ramada Inn in Ellsworth where I can display the necklace and collect donations there. I hope to raise at least $1,000. That’s a lot of cows, sheep, chickens etc. to go to needy families!!

RR: There is a huge amount of detail in the beads that you made for this necklace, which is really a work of art. What goes into making a necklace like this?

Suzanne: This is a ooak (one-of-a-kind) piece with all the beads created individually. The face beads are created from colored clay. Each part of the face is made separately and then joined together in what is called a cane. It is done in the Italian tradition of millifiori glass work.

The canes are sliced very thinly and applied to the bead shape. I am hollow-building the beads since they are quite large. The completed beads are cured and sanded smooth, then assembled. I hope to finish it in mid-March and will continue to post pictures of the process on FaceBook, my web site and blog (www.yikesstudio.blogspot.com)

RR: Some people say that art doesn't naturally have any connection to social causes. I think some people have even struggled with the idea of our media collective, because it is not "just about art," it's about life and how art can support life and visa versa. What is the connection between being an artist and supporting social justice, for you?

Suzanne: Well, I am not, in general, what you would describe as a social justice artist. I only occasionally make pieces that are rooted in a cause of some sort. My work in this case is a way for me to give back. I have been very lucky to have the life that I do. I am in a position to create this piece and put it out there to hopefully create an awareness that it really takes so very little for us with so much to help those with so little. Just five dollars from a lot of people can go a long way towards improving someone else's life.

You can connect with Suzanne on Facebook, or visit her website or blog for updates on the Do Something WiLD fundraiser and progress on the necklace. Enter to win the necklace on her website by making a donation to Heifer with the donation form at www.buyyikestudio.com. Suzanne accepts PayPal online, which enables you to use a credit or debit card.

Arborea Raises Funds to Tour New Album

2010-11-12T21:09:00.004-05:00

There are not many musicians I would use the word “privilege” for when speaking of getting to hear them play. But it is a privilege to hear Buck and Shanti of the indie folk duo Arborea create their music live. It is a privilege they would like to share more widely as they raise funds to bring their new album Red Planet to the world.

Arborea has previously have produced three critically successful albums (Wayfaring Summer [2006], Arborea S/T [2008], and House of Sticks [2009]). The duo played in Brewer previously, in a show arranged by collective member Martin Chartrand of the then-trio BreadRose, which opened for Arborea. It was the first time I’d heard of them; their CDs soon became an essential for road trips and making dinner. But their live performances are such that once you’ve been to one, the CDs are a bit of a tease.

Though Shanti and Buck reside here in Maine, they tour widely and internationally.
Throughout their journey, Shanti and Buck have recorded and produced all of their CDs, videos and artwork themselves, and it’s taken everything they had to do so. Now, they are asking for some help through the fundraising site Kickstarter to help produce what they feel will be “one of the very best records and tour of our lives!” Their goal is to raise $2500 of their total costs on Kickstarter, allowing them to master and manufacture the CD. If they raise $2000 over their goal, they will be able to press vinyl records, something fans have been asking for. (For vinyl fans like myself, there is nothing like the ritual of extracting a record from its paper sleeve, setting it down and hearing the brief static as the needle finds its first song, and hearing the warmth of that analog sound fill up your house.)

“Careless Love,” music and film by Arborea

Shanti and Buck are also hoping to raise more than their goal so that they can put funds toward their international tour. “Shanti and I love sharing the intimate part of making the music come alive through performance and we are committed to traveling in America, Ireland, the UK, and Europe...but we'll need extra pledge funds to help us all get there,” says Buck.

Kickstarter works in a very simple way. There’s a fundraising goal and a time limit, and donors make a “pledge”; if the goal is reached by the end of the fundraising period, Kickstarter charges your credit card for the amount of your pledge. But if the goal is not reached, you aren’t charged anything-- and the group doesn’t raise any money. You can pledge a dollar or $100-- and Arborea has added some wonderful gifts to inspire you to be generous. There are free mp3 downloads, CDs, free entry to shows, and more.

Can you help? Click to the left to help Arborea reach their goal!

The report from Frantasia Festival 2010

2010-08-25T16:48:00.014-04:00

The blog has been neglected these past two weeks, as I have been busy attending the Frantasia Festival in Livermore Falls, the largest "out music" festival in the state of Maine. Joe and Martin (of Bread Rose) and I headed south toward Livermore Falls on Wednesday of last week, but before the festival began we caught the tail end of Water in the Woods, the annual pre-festival hang out and creative jam time in the woods. Water in the Woods is held at the camp of Frantasia creator Fran Szostek.

I was getting ready to perform as well, having decided at the last minute to develop a monologue set to music, to be performed with Martin during his set. We practiced, hung out, caught up with other performers and grilled some squash in the fire. On Thursday, we headed into downtown Livermore Falls to Fran's house, where practicing continued, interspersed with swimming, eating the amazing food prepared for us, and practicing novel ways to make poetry into sound.

The festival was held Thursday through Saturday, August 19 -21, from 7 to 12 pm each evening and often a little later-- over fifteen hours of experimental music, noise, soundplay, improvisation and performance art. As usual, it was inspiring, cathartic, exhausting and beautiful-- and precious, too, because for those of us who find special value in "outside the box" music and sound, Frantasia is a once-a-year chance to fully indulge in listening and creating among like minded people.

id m theftable, Walter Wright and Joe Bergio

I decided to take photos without flash, in the darkened hall, both as a way to not disturb the performers and capture some of the mystery, ambiguity and motion of the performances.

Loup-Gerou (Werewolf)

BreadRose

Video was created from all three nights of performance, and hopefully will be available at some point so that we can share that with you too. In the meantime, you can stream some videos of past performances from Frantasia's website. And for tons more photos, check out Frantasia's Facebook stream for day-by-day galleries.

Interview with BreadRose: "Our work and our survival and our art could be one thing..."

2010-08-11T20:46:00.010-04:00

BreadRose formed in 2009 in Bangor, Maine as the union of three musicians who share a yearning to reach beyond the dominant order in music, society, culture, and our way of life. The trio is now a duo, consisting of Joe Gates and Martin Chartrand, each of whom also perform solo. Together, they make melody, songs, spoken poetry, and noise that amplifies their spiritual, political, and emotional anger and love, dismay and inspiration. Their name hails from the eloquence of young immigrant women textile workers in Lawrence, MA who demanded from their bosses, "Not just bread, but roses too!" and speaks to the connection between creativity, love, beauty and our most basic needs.

I interviewed BreadRose as they practiced in preparation for the incredible festival of "out" and experimental music, Frantasia, coming up later this month in Livermore Falls. To hear more BreadRose, check out their Myspace, or email breadrose (at) yahoo (dot) com for a copy of the new EP, Pop Goes the Culture.

RR: Joe, how did you begin playing the fretless guitar?

Joe: When I was 21—I’ve been playing bass for nine years-- I decided that I would play bass. It was summertime, and I set up outside and played outside all the time. I decided I was going to be the best I possibly could at this instrument.

After a year or so, I switched to playing fretless bass, which I like a lot more. It’s pretty interesting, it’s a lot more of an organic instrument. And now, as you can see, I play the fretless guitar which is, in a lot of ways, like a fretless bass. It’s more fulfilling for me to play the fretless than a regular guitar. First thing you gotta understand is, it’s not just a regular guitar without frets. It really is a different instrument. It sounds different—that’s the way we define a lot of instruments, ya know? It takes more skill I suppose, and precision to play, but it’s more fulfilling once you actually get good at it. It’s a more intimate relationship with your instrument.

Martin: I came into making music from having a lot of things I wanted to say, and writing poetry. And just imagining myself as, and desiring to be, a singer and songwriter. I had played the clarinet briefly, when I was ten or so. But then when I was 18, at that point I had become someone who had a lot to say. And I had written poetry, I had been a performance poet doing readings. But I really wanted to have an instrument. I got a guitar as a gift from my parents and started playing it.

A lot of people had been telling me I should play the guitar too, and that gave me the confidence to do it. I immediately started writing songs. I probably learned one cover song at the very first—I think I had a Bob Dylan song and a Tom Waits song. I wrote my first song about six months after I started playing, not really knowing that they didn’t sound like popular music, or folk music does. I just put together chords that I thought would go good together.

I eventually started playing open mics, and got the feedback that what I was playing was different but had its own interest for some of the audience.

RR: How did you two get together to form BreadRose?

Joe: How many years ago did I meet Martin? Maybe two, three years ago. I was looking for a roommate and I happened to be downtown and I didn’t know him at all. Sittin’, on a bench, looking in the ads in the paper for a roommate! He came to my house and I showed him the room. He didn’t actually end up taking it. We saw each other from time to time at open mics, and we liked each other. And then- what was it?- two years ago, I happened to have a bunch of guitars and instruments at the time and I noticed that Martin didn’t have a guitar and so I just gave him that one right there, the twelve string.

I liked his message. I thought he was a lot more selfless than a lot of musicians around here. They’re all about talking about themselves, and singing about themselves, and Martin talks about bigger things. He talks about his own feelings as well, of course, but it isn’t all about him. It’s kind of disgusting how, with a lot of musicians, it’s all about them. I respected that about Martin, and I thought I could help him, so I did.

Martin: Joe was one of the big supporters of my music and songwriting, probably I would not be where I am with music now if it weren’t for Joe.

I was interested in playing with Joe because I knew he wanted to make music that addressed injustice and a vision of a better world, and that I got along with him just personally, and he had an interesting style as a musician. He was not a conventional musician.

He got up there at open mics, too, all the time, and did stuff that a lot of people were awed and confused by, just like they were by my music! Though, he has more technical skill than I do, and people tended to be on the awed side and less on the confused side than with me. (laughter) But, uh, because of that I thought we could get a long in a band together, unlike a lot of people who liked my songs but just were used to playing music in a different way.

RR: Tell me more about the messages in your music. What is the common vision behind your songs?

Martin: Maybe it doesn’t always have a common vision, but it has a common drive to be fearless in talking about my own stresses and problems, and also the atrocities and injustices I see in the world. It is about being blunt about things like capitalism, racism. But I am trying to be as concrete and personal as possible. It’s not about just using those words, but telling stories.

One of those stories is my own story about trying to find a way to be part of that struggle as someone who is middle class and white, and about the story of the people who come to the US as immigrants and are struggling to make a living. I think that the lyrics and poetry that Joe brings in talk about struggle and is really personal, and addresses the same things from a different perspective. But I’ll let him explain that.

Joe: I think we’re sort of coming from the same place in a sense. We’re looking at the world around us and saying, This is fucked up. What the fuck? Basically, let’s do something about it, but in a way that can inspire people, you know?

If I actually took some of our lyrics and went up and told people these things, they’d be like, get away from me! (laughter) But if we do it in an artistic way, they actually want to and will be more compelled to listen!

RR: That is cool—you can get it into venues where people wouldn’t have heard it otherwise. What’s coming up next?

Joe: Well, we have a new EP recorded. 7 tracks. And we are playing at Frantasia Out Music Festival on uh—

Martin: August 19, 20 and 21.

Joe: We’re playing at that in Livermore Falls, and that is a great festival. I have never even managed to make it, but Martin, you were there, right?

Martin: It is a great event. Fran Szostek, who puts on the Frantasia festival, is another person who I probably wouldn’t be where I am in my music without him. He brings together everyone from world-class improve and noise performers to cool people who do something that’s totally unclassifiable, like us. It’s a really great event that kind of breaks apart the stratification of the genres, types of people and even age and class. He puts it on from the ground up. I played there last year with a different group of musicians that I assembled. Now, BreadRose is playing there this year as well as Joe and I doing some solo stuff. You’ll see a lot of Joe and I that weekend.

RR: Is that woman going to be back again—Audrey?

Martin: Audrey Chen! I don’t know. That would be great—Audrey is a great performer, a very inspiring solo violin performer. (Editor's note: Audrey is scheduled to play this year.)

RR: Anything else coming up?

Martin: I think we want to complete our sound by having a bassist and a drummer and we actually have someone here in the studio with us right now who is going to potentially play bass with us and is going to try it out tonight. This is Paul—or C Bear—or Tony.

C Bear: I am a man of many names. My name is Anthony, or C Bear. A lot of people call me C Bear. I would enjoy collaborating with these guys a lot because they’re both very creative. I’ve been doing different types of music since I was a little boy, and I’m keepin’ it up. I see a lot of creativity in the studio today and I am really excited.

RR: Anything else you guys would like to say before we conclude?

Joe: Of course, you can always check us out at myspace.com/breadrose. There are six pieces of music on there, of various recording qualities. And of course, our new EP, called Pop Goes the Culture. It’s the name of the video we shot tonight, and the title track of the CD. And we’ll be distributing that to people. You can email us at breadrose at yahoo.com, or friend us on Myspace to get a copy.

I think we forgot the most important thing though. Why are we called BreadRose? I’ll hand that one to Martin.

Martin: So BreadRose comes from the phrase “We want bread and roses too,” which was first said by the textile workers of Lawrence, Massachusetts. These were young women of all nationalities, most of them new to the US, who worked in horrible conditions. Sometimes they were even locked in the mills when they were burning—awful things like that happened. So they went on strike, I think it was 1912 or 1913. They not only wanted enough bread to have on their table, but also roses, being the beautiful things in life. They wanted the ability to enjoy their lives beyond just working to make a living.

I thought that was a beautiful idea but I wanted to go further and put them into one word—BreadRose—because to me, the whole idea that there is a divide between surviving and being fulfilled in life is absurd. It’s something that comes from this way of living where everything has a price, where we are commodities and our labor is a commodity. But if we look at it from a different perspective, that we should all contribute and we should all be fulfilled by doing so, our work and our survival and our art could be one thing. That is what I am trying to say with the name.

Joe: That is what we will accomplish for ourselves, maybe. To help other people accomplish that, too.

Joe: Well, thanks for interviewing us!

RR: Thank you!

Above photos: Joe in top color photo; Martin in lower black and white photo.

Transgender Youth Create Amazing Zine

2010-08-05T19:26:00.005-04:00

INK Youth Zine Project grant recipients tell their stories with the help of the Trans Youth Equality Foundation of Portland.

Last weekend, INK Youth Zine Project coordinator Zeraph travelled to Portland to provide a supportive presence for an amazing project that is truly the first of it's kind.

Transgender children are born into bodies that don't fit the gender of their minds-- and usually, they know it right from childhood, even toddlerhood. Even though many parents support their transgender children in living in the gender they identify as-- the one they know themselves to be-- school systems, churches, and community members may not be accepting. Some children have to move to flee discrimination, threats and violence. Usually, the family opts to have the child live as "stealth"-- blending in with other kids who don't know that they have an anatomical difference.

So it's not often that these wonderful kids get a chance to share all of who they are, including their transgender histories, their fears and their pride. And while many medical professionals, social workers and educators are learning about how to support transgender kids, they don't usually hear about being trans in the kids' own words. That is about to change with the Trans Zine, a booklet of art, poetry, coming-out stories, resources and more, by and for transgender children. The zine was created by the children of the Trans Youth Equality Foundation, a New England organization helping trans kids and their families. The zine will be distributed widely-- from families who are seeking support for their trans child, to social and medical workers. Through a grant from Bangor Media Collective's INK Youth Zine Project, we hope that the zine will reach even more people.

The children who find support through Trans Youth Equality Foundation will be joined in the zine endeavor by children on the other coast. Trans youth from Portland, Oregon who are a part of TransActive will also contribute content.

Bangor Media Collective and the INK Youth Zine Project Advisory Council are proud and excited to support this project. If you would like to get involved with helping trans youth, there are endless ways to do so. Email contact@transyouthequality.org to find out the many ways you can help.

Photo: "Girl on a Swing," by Jack Montgomery, from TYEF website

Interview with X Anthroid: "I have always been attracted to people and things which are 'out of time' with modern society"

2010-08-04T19:47:00.006-04:00

X Anthroid isn't really the kind of artist you expect to find in a little city in central Maine, but these woods are mysterious and home to a myriad collection of strange and beautiful minds. X, of Bangor, is a sculptural and three dimensional artist who also paints and creates steampunk-inspired clothing. Her website, Anthroid.net, is a work of art itself, showcasing X's clothing lines, three dimensional work, visual art and poetry, among much more.

X's work is dark and pensive in a natural, autumnal kind of way. Dead branches, sun-whitened grass, bleached bones and lost possessions (or found objects, depending on your point of view) seem to be present, and at times feature in her actual materials. These meld with a kind of intense self-reflection that shapes her compelling sculptures, many of them of bodies and body parts made transcendent by unexpected additions-- a hand beckoning from within the chest of one sculpted torso holds a length of red string, for example.

I was excited to have a chance to interview X a few weeks ago about her sculpture, steampunk and her effort to "Quayify" her Victorian farmhouse.

RR: What drew you to begin sculpting? How has your style evolved?

X: A wise, old sculptor whose work i completely adored once told me that he could see me working in 3-D. At the time i thought he was crazy because i barely had the patience to work in 2-D. And then, years later, i decided to give it a try. Imagine my surprise when i found out i actually loved working in this medium! As a bonus, sculpting has taught me a patience i never knew i possessed. I find the process to be therapeutic and relaxing as well. And i have gained a tremendous amount of hand strength as a result.

RR: What materials go into your sculptures? Why do you choose these materials?

X: Anything i can get my grubby little hands on is fair game. Of course clay is the main ingredient. But i have a special process i put the clay through to give it a unique texture and look. I do love objects which are old and have decayed. So i try to give this look to my work.

RR: Do you consider your work to be feminist?

X: Yes i do, although many people may not see it as so. I do like to think that i take my work to the edges of certain ideas and play with them there on the edge.

RR: Many of your fashions are in the "steampunk" style. What do you like about steampunk?

X: I am very much drawn to Steampunk as a clothing style. I love the ornateness of Victorian fashion combined with more dire and modern imagery. I have always been attracted to people and things which are "out of time" with modern society and Steampunk certainly fits this description quite well.

　
RR: You have said before that you wanted to make your house look like a Quay Brothers movie set. How's that coming along?

X: It is still going. And going.. and going.... and going. Presently i have run out of fundage to complete the project i started. I am perhaps halfway to the look that i want to achieve for my Little House of Quays. I shall get there. Sooner or later.

RR: What have you been working on lately?

X: Well, aside from "Quayifying" my Victorian farmhouse i have also been working on new sculptures and have gone back to an old favorite medium; photography. I have acquired a vintage 4 x 5 [large format] camera and have lots of plans for this particular item. In addition, i have been working on a super-secret project that i won't talk about until i am ready to unveil it.

RR: Why did you choose the name "X" as a pseudonym?

X: I chose the name for a few reasons. ‘X’ is a shortened version of ‘Xcathedra’ [which is itself a play on the Latin word ‘Excathedra’]. I like the fact that ‘X’ is not gender specific, and holds no "importance". I also like the significance of this letter, which is often used in the signing of documents, by someone who speaks another language, and cannot read or write in English.

There are many things that i do not understand about life, and the name just somehow seems fitting. Personally, i don't care if anyone remembers me, or the name by which i am called. I am not that insecure. It is the images that i have created, that i want people to take notice of, and be affected by.

Interview with Jessica Moulton: "Where are the icons of our failing system?"

2010-07-26T18:53:00.011-04:00

Jessica Moulton is a painter, teacher and multi-media installation artist living in Old Town whose work responds to issues of feminism, homelessness and social inequality from a deeply personal perspective.

In late 2009, a personal experience of sudden homelessness inspired Moulton to create the autobiographical work, "Breaking Point." In this installation, the walls of a small office-like room that seems to be in the midst of being packed up are painted with an eerie repeating pattern in orange shades, depicting womanlike forms that seems to hang in midair as they slip in and out of the surrounding colors. The result is disconcerting, a testimony to the possibility of madness as a home is emptied of its meaning.

I talked with Jessica about the inspiration behind her installation work.

RR: You have shared your paintings via our website before, and I know you also create installation art. Can you tell me more about your installation pieces?

Jessica: My installation pieces center around past events and memories as a trigger. I want people who view the pieces to see things from another perspective that has possibility instead of limitations.

RR: What do you like about the materials and artistic media you have worked with? Is there a new medium you're interested in trying out and working with?

Jessica: I like [that] the materials I work with are challenging and comforting at the same time. I learn something new about my craft every time I complete a piece. I use found objects and painting. My newest installation that I am still in the process of designing is going to contain found objects and technology like video and audio work. [The "Breaking Point"] installation was based on my personal experience of being homeless combined with a feminist perspective.

On August 24, 2009 I experienced a life changing event, I became homeless. Over the next month I experienced moments of frustration and I found it difficult to find a way to respond to what I was experiencing. That changed when I lucked out and found a place to live. The perk of being a college student.

I now know the way for me to respond to my experience is through my work. I know that my family is not the only family in Maine to go through this. We have icons of modernity, power, and success. Where are the icons of our failing system? Why aren't we seeing those images everyday? I am driven to tell my story and give voice to a problem that is common but not discussed. I created the boxes and the installation as autobiographical pieces.

RR: What have you been working on lately?

Jessica: I have been in the process of developing a new installation inspired by memory and how some people can lose memories.

RR: How do most people come across your work?

Jessica: I have an online photo album on my Facebook page. I am in the process of creating an online portfolio.

RR: Jessica, Thanks so much!

Jessica is currently enrolled at the University of Maine in the MFA Intermediary Program. Currently she resides in Old Town, Maine with her partner Joe and her children Kacey and Chloe. To see more views of the "Breaking Point" installation, click here.

Image: 'Breaking Point' installation at Circuit City, December 2009.

Interview with Gigantic Monster Records: "Most people have a tendency to look at art without a commercial element as garbage..."

2010-07-21T07:00:00.003-04:00

I first discovered Gigantic Monster Records through Bangor Media Collective's previous online social network. I was pleasantly surprised to see that this independent music label, with its eclectic mix of underground artists of multiple genres, is based in Bangor, on Essex Street. Their website, Cellarseer Media, is the locus of their distribution efforts. It's also where to go if you have an album you'd like submit for consideration or review. Here I speak with Nate and Shawn, the founders and masterminds of GMR about how they got their start, what it means to be 'ultra-underground' and their newest Godzilla-inspired release.

RR: Thanks so much for agreeing to be interviewed for Razzle Rose. How did Gigantic Monster Records get started?

Nate: Back in 1997, Shawn and I were active members of a Bangor media collective of our own. Everyone in our circle of friends was an artist, a musician, or a writer.

Shawn: We decided to unite under the same banner as we shared complimentary aesthetics and methodology.

Nate: Shawn was already recording and releasing original music. Some others in our circle started recording songs as well. Shawn and I organized those songs into albums and released them. Gigantic Monster Records was born.

RR: On your website you say that you are interested in giving coverage to "ultra-underground art" - what does this mean to you?

Shawn: I suppose that's mostly about redundancy and repeating yourself artistically. If everyone caters to that 95% coverage demographic, then there's a subset of people starved for something emotionally / intellectually stimulating. Why keep rehashing what works, and what sells? There are plenty of entities producing that kind of thing, and that's valid in itself, but we're trying to fill a void. Being ultra-underground fulfills a certain niche that would otherwise be neglected. It sometimes may be unrewarding, but that's in its nature. Most people have a tendency to look at art without a commercial element as garbage. Stockhausen and Cage would be categorized as unlistenable by most, yet are still lauded. Not that we're comparing ourselves, but the mechanic is the same.

RR: On your site you also say that you don't promote artists of one particular genre. Nonetheless do you find some genres represented more than others among your artists? What styles of music are represented?

Nate: Our first ever release was by Ares Mayhem and their blend of techno, industrial, and metal definitely set the tone for our future releases. Other genres are well represented, though. We have everything from hip hop to straight up metal. Many of our artists blend styles in such a manner as to make categorization nearly impossible, yet each of these bands has something in their sound which Shawn and I found interesting and / or edgy.

RR: You have mp3s of many of your artists online for instant listening, which is great. I'm listening to Ares Mayhem - "We are Rot" right now, from The Best of the Gigantic Monster Demos. Can you tell me more about them?

Shawn: Ares Mayhem was mostly an exercise in early sampling technology. A large portion of current musicians would be familiar with the concept of making an entire album with nothing more than GarageBand installed on a Macbook and then distributing it through ReverbNation or iLike. But 14 years ago, when Ares Mayhem first started, things weren't so simple. Computers were mostly limited to MIDI sequencing at the time and digital audio was mostly impractical. So Ares Mayhem was an attempt to take limited digital audio capabilities and stretch that as far as it could go. You couldn't buy or download multi-gigabyte instrumental samples at the time, and even if you could, the hardware to play it back just wasn't available. Are Mayhem died as a project when high-quality sampling became little to no challenge, and as a consequence the project started to stray from its origins.

RR: Tell me about GMR's latest release, from Mothra.

Nate: Mothra is the brainchild of our own Shawn Timms. The idea was to record an album of brutal metal tracks, all of which would be based on Godzilla movies. We took inspiration from bands like Slayer, At the Gates, Sepultura, and Mastodon. I for one think it’s one of the best albums we’ve ever released.

Shawn: An interesting footnote is that it was originally going to be an entirely off-the-cuff impromptu 15-20 minute EP, and ended up being in post-production for five years.

RR: What's next?

Nate: We currently have albums in the works by eclectic metal rockers Circle of Thirteen, trip hop tricksters Alternative 3, and underground DJ Max Rebo. Our next release will be a second volume of The Best of the Gigantic Monster Demos.

Shawn: In the future, Gigantic Monster Records will be integrated with its other sister media distros. Everything falling under the Cellarseer Media umbrella will be gradually combined and revamped. Our goal is to create a comprehensive, unified, multi-media brand with a solid cast of known contributors. We are aiming to be cohesive, with a stylized output, yet never predictable.

We're also shifting to an extremely limited run format. Most of our future releases will be Net Release only. Special upcoming projects may be released as low quantity hand-numbered CDs. All titles currently in the catalog are going out-of-print. This is part of our new transition. Communication has changed, and we speak a different language. Art needs to be translated.

Welcome to Razzle Rose!

2010-07-13T18:11:00.009-04:00

Welcome to the new art blog of central Maine, covering the news of Maine's underground art scene: that under-reported, glittery, fascinating underbelly of art in rural Maine.

Every week I'll be posting a new interview with a local artist, musician or promoter of local art on the blog, focusing on underground, alternative and activist artists. This blog will be a center of reporting on the underground arts in central, northern, and rural Maine.

I will also continue to post events and calls for art as I'm made aware of them. As this blog's readership grows you will find this an increasingly powerful place to promote your arts and music events, particularly those that appeal to a non-mainstream crowd. I encourage you to use the blog by emailing your events to bangorcommunitymedia@gmail.com.

If you received an invitation from me to become an early Follower, welcome and thanks for coming by! Click "Follow" to begin reading this blog with your Yahoo!, Google or Twitter ID.

Zeraph

Film Festival Seeks High School Filmographers

2010-07-12T14:26:00.000-04:00

The Image Gazer Film Festival will take place August 16 - August 18th 11:00am - 10:00pm in Downtown Ellsworth, Maine.

IGFF is seeking all film types from all ages including films made by high school students, featuring full length films, short films, abstract films, fiction and documentary films. All submitted films that get the green-light will be shown in one of four possible venues according to the type of films submitted. This all takes Place in Downtown Ellsworth, Maine where everything in the festival is in walking distance.

IGFF is a three day film festival event incorporating all the arts into one. It takes place throughout Downtown Ellsworth, Maine. Films will be shown all day from 12pm to 8pm in 4 locations. There will be Pan Dances, Music Performances of all kinds, Street Craft & Art Shows, and watching movies on a big blowup screen at night.

Filmmakers that submitted their films to us are automatically invited to participate in a more intense competition: The 48 Film Project. Filmmakers team up to make a movie in two days to be shown at the awards ceremony. The voted winning team will get a special prize and recognition for their efforts. This event will have something for everyone to enjoy so please submit your films and win some cool prizes. We invite you to make this film festival a heartbeat of culture and art.

Get your film submission form and more information at www.imagegazer.org. For more information, contact Dylan Howard at dylanhoward32@gmail.com or 669-5506. Film submissions must be received by July 23, 2010.

"Farmer-Labor Art Show" to showcase work by and about workers and farmers

2010-07-12T14:24:00.001-04:00

Labor Day 2010 will be an exciting day at the Solidarity Center in Brewer, Maine. Food AND Medicine and Eastern Maine Labor Council are sponsoring a "Farmer-Labor Art Show."

Workers and farmers with a creative streak are encouraged to submit any artwork, as are artists with works that relate to working, farming, local food movements, etc.

For more information about submitting works of art, contact Martin at martin@foodandmedicine.org or (207) 989-1712.

Youth Activism Zine Published

2010-06-17T14:17:00.001-04:00

The YAG Collective Zine is a collectively made zine created by 15 participants in the Maine Youth Activism Gathering. Since 2000 Maine youth have been converging annually for a three day celebration of political action, fierce youth brilliance and do-it-yourself fun. The Youth Activism Gathering (YAG) is an event organized for and by teens and young adults with support and suggestions from a few choice older activists.

BMC's INK Youth Zine Project provided support for publishing this year's YAG zine. The cover is a collage of images made by participants, and the inside pages are total youth brilliance!

For more information on the Maine Youth Activism Gathering, there is a Maine YAG website.

The YAG zine was printed locally at Northeast Reprographics in Bangor.

MYX Productions Hosts Music and Art Showcase To Battle Cancer

2010-06-14T13:55:00.000-04:00

MYX Productions is now looking for artists and musicians to take part in a music and arts showcase at the Union Street Brick Church Friday and Saturday, July 30-31, with the goals of promoting cancer awareness and raising funds for Randy Billings, a long-time local musician now battling Stage 2 Hodgkins Lymphoma.

MYX is partnering with The Red Cross, Bangor Fusion, and other amazing organizations to put together an amazing event and create collective energy towards cancer awareness and the lives it affects. Billings was diagnosed in April and is currently undergoing chemotherapy treatments at Maine Medical Center in Portland. He is known throughout the Maine music community for his involvement in bands such as Billings Brew and the Napper Tandies.

The celebration of music, art, dance, and food, named Bloom207 Music & Arts Showcase, is being organized to provide a venue for local artists to showcase their talents. With the help of various local organizations, businesses and individuals, MYX Productions hopes to promote local art and music while harnessing the collective power of local talent for a good cause.

"We believe that coming together in support of one another and for those in need is the essence of what it takes to build a strong community," said Randy's brother, Mike Billings of MYX Productions. Artists wishing to display their work at this event. Art walls will be made available to anyone who would like to contribute their work to this event, with availability will be on a first-come, first-served basis. Those interested in showing or donating art, or taking part in the event in any way, should contact MYX PRODUCTIONS at myxstudio@gmail.com.

Preliminary List of Partners and Sponsors (more to be announced): Participating Organizations: The Red Cross, Maine Arts Commission, Bangor Fusion, Downtown Arts Collaborative, Bangor Media Collective Sponsors: Anne Marie’s Kitchen, Bacon Printing