Mudd Up Book Clubb: FRAN ROSS – OREO

There’s a larger story to be told about how the Mudd Up Book Clubb met at Brazenhead, the best bookstore in the world, for nearly 4 years! About how Michael had to leave Brazenhead’s secret apartment location (& how I recorded its silence — a shareable portrait of the clandestine bookshop’s unique acoustic space)… but we’ll save that for later. Because the September Mudd Up Book Clubb selection is a whopper .

Back in 1974 Fran Ross published a great American novel. Oreo. An unruly picaresque. Black, Jewish, steeped in Greek myth and profane jokes gassed by polystylistic riffs, with Yiddish in spades and a masterful use/abuse of language at the heart of it.

How did Oreo not become an instant classic, revising the way we think of contemporary lit lineages? For all those selfsame reasons it seems.

When the book failed to make waves, Ross moved to LA — to write comedy for Richard Pryor. This actually happened. I love this woman.

So — let’s read her only book. New Directions recently re-republished it. This September we’ll meet at a post-Brazenhead location to discuss what happens when a hyperintelligent writer decides that there is no reality outside of language and that the Lawd/Jehovah gave us tongues so we could wisecrack and hoot. Shaking up our canons in the best possible way.

PODCAST ASSISTANT PRODUCER

Radio is in my blood. After 5 years of hosting a show on WFMU, and some time off, I’m ready to return. If you enjoyed Mudd Up! then you’ll like what’s to come… This fall I’m starting a new podcast, and am looking for a New York City based production assistant.

WANTED: a media producer/arts journalist with experience editing audio interviews and doing storytelling with sound. Duties include: artist and label liaison, audio editing/production, dealing with metadata/FTPing/etc., & research. I’m not after a musician (or DJ), although familiarity with new & old music is a big plus.

The time commitment will hover around 5 hours a week. We’ll need to meet twice a month in NYC, although much of the work can be done remotely. There is a monthly honorarium. This position makes the most sense for someone who is excited to work with me and get some flexible-yet-focused experience producing an exciting, unruly podcast about exciting, unruly music.
I am a benevolent dictator and an equal opportunity employer.

Interested? Tell me why with some examples of what you do. Email: radio at jaceclayton dot com

LAST DANCE @ New Museum’s IDEAS CITY

It’s always exciting to collaborate with Sharifa Rhodes-Pitts, author the beautiful, thoughtful book Harlem Is Nowhere. This Friday, May 29, we’re staging a new work in NYC, at the New Museum’s IDEAS CITY Festival. The evening is “a performative conference in 9 acts,” ranging from dance battles to spoken word to something involving a hot air balloon; we go on promptly at 11pm.

Our contribution, The Last Dance, is a half-hour piece about the Renaissance Ballroom in Harlem, which was demolished this past March. We’ll be joined by historian Michael Henry Adams (pictured above being arrested as he protested its destruction). This article provides context.

Friday May 29. The Aula, 268 Mulberry Street. DJ Rupture, Sharifa Rhodes-Pitts, and Michael Henry Adams present The Last Dance, part of A Performative Conference In 9 Acts.
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for a warm up, here’s our Harlem Is Nowhere mix from 2011– that’s the Renaissance Ballroom:

MEXICO CITY SEE YOU SOON

Queridos Defeños, nos vemos este sabado! This weekend I head down to Mexico City to DJ the 5th anniversary of Pulqueria Insurgentes! The pulqueria is one of those special places that could only exist in D.F. — a huge no-attitude possibility-rich 5 story building specializing in underground sounds and pre-hispanic fermented maguey sap…

The pulqueria is in fiesta mode for the entire weekend. On Saturday March 21st myself and buddy Sonido Martines will be on deck to shake things up, and DJs for that Friday include the Kumbia Queers’ Ali Gua Gua and legendary Sonido La Changa. Who needs a SXSW?! Full lineup: Continue reading MEXICO CITY SEE YOU SOON

JEMD IN PITTSBURGH

This Saturday, March 14, we are bringing the Julius Eastman Memorial Dinner to Pittsburgh! The event is being presented by the Warhol Museum, and will be held at the Carnegie Museum of Art. Tickets/info. A few years ago I DJed a party at the Warhol with Questlove; it’s great to return. Also I am a huge Andy Warhol fan, he made so many things possible, giant American genius with a great wig. (Reminding myself: I should reread The Philosophy of Warhol by Andy Warhol.) To top things off, it is the birthday of JEMD vocalist Arooj Aftab. So, come on out! Here’s a nice preview article from Pittsburgh Tribute-Review.

By the way, Arooj recently released her debut album, Bird Under Water. You can listen and buy over at Bandcamp. She wrote and produced the disc, which steps inside South Asian / Sufi / classical traditions with rare grace and confidence. A moving piece of work! It’s 3AM and I’m listening to the first song, “man kunto mala,” and it is perfect right now.

MUDD UP BOOK CLUBB: Pamela Lu’s Ambient Parking Lot

The March Mudd Up Book Clubb selection is Pamela Lu’s Ambient Parking Lot. A first-person plural novel (“part fiction, part earnest mockumentary”) about an ambient band! In other words, we are clearly the target audience for this under-appreciated gem from 2011. It is loopy and sweet and funny and ostensibly less crazy than Sorokin’s Ice Trilogy.PamLu_photo_BW-msall Word on the street is that after Lu’s debut novel (Pamela: A Novel), she dropped out of the Bay Area literary scene and began working for software companies. Rumor? Truth? Disinformation? Seems harmonious with Ambient Parking Lot. We will meet on Sunday March 29th to discuss this book, which you can pick up here.

Also: a car-themed ambient piano jam for your enjoyment:

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Babe Rainbow – Car Ambient # 3.mp3 elitist driving music & yoga

NEW WORK FOR BANG ON A CAN ALL-STARS

I’m excited to announce that on Thursday February 26, Bang On A Can All-Stars will premiere a new composition of mine here in NYC, as part of their People’s Commissioning Fund concert. I’ll be joining them on-stage. WNYC’s John Schaefer will host the event, which will live-stream on Q2.

The All-Stars will also perform new work by Ben Frost, Glenn Kotche (Wilco), and more. Really looking forward to this night. Tickets/info.

It’s part of the excellent Ecstatic Music Festival.

As a little warm-up, we put together a free Bandcamp download of work from all the composers. Continue reading NEW WORK FOR BANG ON A CAN ALL-STARS

RED PARTY – FEB 14 – NYC

Socialist slow jams and commie techno in a room full of people who love lefty books: not to be missed! On Saturday February 14th I’m DJing the RED PARTY at Verso Books in DUMBO. Hope to see you there.

Join us for Verso’s inaugural celebration of Red Day.

With Special Guest Tariq Ali
Music by DJ Rupture

Saturday, February 14
8:30pm – 2:00am
Verso Brooklyn: 20 Jay Street, Suite 1010

Beer, wine and commie books will be available to all attendees. 50% off everything for guests wearing red.

All revenue goes to the Can’t Touch This NYC Anti-Repression Committee.

♥,
Verso

RADIO RUPTURE FUTURE

I miss doing radio & would like to brainstorm ways to engage with it again. The medium has been in my blood ever since Boston-area college stations opened my ears back in middle school. 5 years of hosting a weekly program on WFMU were incredible–but a huge labor of love. WFMU DJs volunteer their time, and I logged at least 30 hours a month on my show…

If I were to create a new program what sort of things would you like to see? On what sort of platform should it exist? It could be a podcast, a live show happening at some venue, another FM endeavor, or something else entirely… The only stipulation is: it needs to earn money. It requires so much time & prep that I can’t imagine doing it with out a little help. I’ve got mountains of new & old music to share, dozens of interview ideas, and some new things in mind — and would love to hear your thoughts on what you’d like to experience and how it might work.

You can chime in in the comments, @ me on Twitter, or drop an e-mail. I’m especially interested in hearing from the Mudd Up! listeners over the years.