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What is Spearmint Music?

The most exciting music in the world has always been innovative. Charlie Parker, Hank Williams, Elvis Presley, John Cage, John Lee Hooker, John Coltrane, Ornette Coleman, Albert Ayler, Karleinz Stockhausen, Iannis Xenakis, The Beatles, Black Sabbath, Henry Threadgill, Anthony Braxton, the Art Ensemble of Chicago, The Residents, Derek Bailey, Christian Marclay, AMM, John Fahey, Jon Rose, Brian Eno, The Slits, The Sex Pistols, Gang of Four, The Ex, Talking Heads, Guns 'N' Roses, Fela, P-Funk, Prince, Kahil El'Zabar, William Parker, Ikue Mori, Otomo Yoshihide, People Like Us: all of them and many, many more are infused with the excitement of the new. They're all, in one way or another, "experimental."

My favorite music often gets called "experimental," and while it's probably the most apt of the many terms bandied about, it's also clinical and ugly. I like to think of it as "spearmint." Refreshing. New.

I haven't decided what I'll do with this blog yet. I might write about music, but I already do that enough. I might just complain about petty things that happen to me day to day, or I might make up lies. But that's why I named it what I did.

5 comments:

Unknown said...

right on, brother.

Fabiolous said...

A living experimental musician that actually used to perform with John Cage is Pauline Oliveros, you should email her. and invite her to your experiment, www.deeplistening.org

Brian Olewnick said...

If Guy Klucevsek still lives on Staten Island, he'd be a natch for filling in a Richmond slot, having performed Cage on occasion.

info@guyklucevsek.com

Kurt said...

Good suggestions both. Pauline wrote back and said she'll be in France, unfortunately.

Rick said...

since i do not live in nyc, ny or even the north i will be unable to attend the 5 waltzes...since the notice was sent to me by my favorite cousin, evan gallagher, if i were in nyc, or ny or even in the north i would try to attend. since i am here i will be thinking about it from 3:00 - 3:45 on saturday, the 26th (does that get any credit?)..and i do like the spearmint music..experimentation can be a good thing