Tim Lane's Blog, page 23

Doubling Back: My Renewed Interest in Black Flag

I am currently reading Henry Rollins’ Black Flag memoir, Get In the Van. I really like his diaristic approach. I have kept a journal for a long time—we’re talking decades.

Flint had a fairly strong underground punk rock alternative bands scene (among other musics) in the 80s when I was a teen and would have been delving into punk rock (a bit of which is captured in my 80s coming-of-age novel, Your Silent Face), but truth-be-told, I did not get into punk rock a whole lot. Just a bit. I went to some local shows but never saw a big traveling band like Black Flag. I liked BF, though, and Naked Raygun, from Chicago, the Angry Samoans, Dead Kennedys and The Crucifucks, from Lansing. A few others. I was more into New Wave.

I was a skinny dude who always knew he would get hurt in the mosh pit. I had some angry energy that needed to be exercised, but I always seemed to exercise it on myself, and never actually dared to attempt some stage diving. There was a bit of slam dancing at safe, organized dances, where me and some of my friends were the most punk rock thing in the house, but there are no photos of me deep in the mosh pit or diving off the stage at a punk show in Flint or anywhere else. When I did get to a show, I hung back in the wings and observed.

I have probably listened to more Black Flag lately than I did in my whole adolescence. Why the renewed interest? I am not sure, but part of it definitely arises from reading about it. So why am I reading Get In the Van now? I’m not entirely sure about that either, but I think that part of me is drawn to it because I have become a D.I.Y kind of artist/writer as an older adult, and that was something that BF totally stood for. I was surrounded by some musician’s and creatives in my last year of college at the house I was living in (Bleak House) who were totally immersed in the D.Y.I. culture, but I still had ideas of being “discovered.” When I look back, I do wish that I had been rocking a zine in college, or arranging poetry readings, or trying to sell art postcards, or whatever. However, I did get there. I am here. I make my own art, and I push it myself, as well, because there is no longer any time to wait on being discovered. So I have doubled back to read about some of the 80s pioneers of this aesthetic, I guess.

I totally recommend Get In the Van from a historical and sociological sense and because of its easily digestible, note-booking prose. I like how Rollins wrote this memoir.

To be sure, that were factions and aspects of punk rock that terrified me, and still do, but I did try to keep my ear and mind open when it was happening in the 80s. I remember spiking my hair with Vasoline one Halloween and putting on a sleeveless surfer shirt. In hindsight, the Vasoline was a bad idea.

I was never a punk rocker, though.

Rollins perspective of society is interesting. Five out of five stars.

#blackflag #flint #punkrock #getinthevan #henryrollins #80s #80smusic #doityourself #DIY #DIYaesthetic #postpunk #newwave #yoursilentface #contemporaryartist #contemporaryart #diary #memoir #blog #blogging #bleakhouse #MSU #lovelansing #thecrucifucks

Your Silent Face Available Now Original Art for Sale

At This Juncture in Time: New Painting

At This Juncture in Time is an eight-inch by eight-inch piece on Fabriano paper. I bought a new tablet over the holidays. I also bought a seven-inch tablet of Yupo paper. I am feeling an urge to work small for a bit. We shall see what happens.

This new piece dictated its own terms. I had other ideas for it, but it insisted on being what you see. This is about as abstract as I get, I suppose, but this is not an abstract painting. It is an attempt to represent time, or the multiverse. Or being. Being alone. Being all at once.

My ideas are born out of loose understandings of the science of the new frontiers.

This piece can be found in the gallery of The Sublime series, and in the shop of Art for Sale. See below.

#time #space #multiverse #quantamphysics #spaceart #contemporaryart #painting #worksonpaper #smallpaintings #spraypainting #coloredpencil #carandache #fabrianopaper #yoursilentface #yoursilentfacetimlane #artist #lovelansing

At This Juncture in Time, 2022

Original Art for Sale The Sublime

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Artist Susan Hensel: Chromatic Fabric Sculptures

If you are not familiar with Susan Hensel—based in Minneapolis—then you need to check out the video below which presents what she has been up to lately. Susan is a prolific artist. I have had the pleasure of keeping tabs on her work for the past twenty-five years.

I was lucky to be able to see Susan’s work firsthand when she lived and worked in Michigan. In the late 90s or early 2000s, my wife and I took a paper making class in her driveway. Trained as a sculptor, the way in which Susan has incorporated fabric and installation into her practice has always been intriguing and inspiring.

In 2006, after Susan had relocated to Minneapolis, my friend—and fellow artist—Travis Bruce Black and I were fortunate to work with Susan at her new gallery and work space. That summer, with Susan’s curation and direction, Travis and I hung a show titled Poems of Loss and Desperation. It featured paintings and a poetry reading. It was such a fine experience. Trav and I learned a lot about installing work, and the opening was a blast. It is a great memory. Working with Susan was wonderful.

Enjoy the video below and visit Susan’s website.

#susanhensel #fabric #sculpture #installation #contemporaryart #MinneapolisArtist #multimediaartist #installationart #installationartist #art #artwork #contemporaryartist #susanhenselart #susanhenselprojects

How to Connect with Your Silent Face

If you are new to this, then just wanted to let you know that you can get connected with my 80s coming-of-age novel, Your Silent Face, on this website, at Robin Books, in REOtown, Lansing, directly from me (just contact me), or on Amazon. Electronic version is also on Apple Books.

You can check out reviews on Amazon. For a full review, go to Kirkus Reviews.

You can check out the companion Spotify playlist for free here.

“A meandering but vigorous story about wayward youth and the necessity of art.”

— KIRKUS REVIEWS Your Silent Face By Lane, Tim Buy on Amazon

#80smusic #NewWave #postpunk #JoyDivison #NewOrder #DepecheMode #Prince #TheCure #Flint #graffiti #urbanpoetry #rustbelt #nativeamerican #GenX #ficiton #novels #comingofage #literature #contemporaryliterature #contemporaryfiction #DIY #yoursilentface #yoursilentfacethenovel #yoursilentfacetimlane #art #waywardyouth #punkrock #newwavemusic #postpunkmusic #Goth #clubbing #danceclubs #80snewwave #flashbackfriday

This One, Please, Part One

If I were to ask you to remember just one, then this would be it.

In the Valley (Laugh Out Loud), 2007

24x24

The Lamb Series

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Ambient Industrial Music: Voltage Controlled Ficus

A friend of mine is really into vintage keyboards and electronics. Ficus is a good musician and all-around highly intelligent and creative individual. (Read genius-type there.) I fondly remember him appropriately correcting me sometime in the mid 80s:

“Tim, I really think that New Order’s album Low Life is way more mainstream than Power, Corruption & Lies. Yep, kinda think so. Just sayin’.” I’m talking about Ficus aka Marc King, here. And guess what; he was right, but very kind about it!

Ficus has been working in the automotive industry ever since he left GMI-slash-Kettering Institute in the late 80s. This experience clearly influences his latest release, Manufacturing 101. If you are curious about, or already enjoy, ambient music, explore this release. It has a gritty, tectonic and Old School Casio technological vibe that makes for great listening when you do not need or want lyrics and popular tunes. I’ve been looping it for a few days now. It echoes some of Brian Eno’s early work (thinking Music for Airports) and some of Steve Reich’s work. If—like me—you dig different kinds of drone, trance, noise or electronic music, this is it.

Visit his site to download it today! Support independent creatives!

#ambientmusic #drone #trance #noisemusic #noise #manufacturing #automotiveindustry #flint

Zach's Google Doc

I recently discovered that my son created a Google doc of the musical references which can be found within my 80s coming-of-age novel, Your Silent Face. It’s pretty impressive; I was touched by the gesture. Check it out!

(I don’t want The Clash to feel left out—you were in there, Joe Strummer! But it was subtle.)

Smiths-how soon is now (morrissey), reel around the fountain

Tainted love

Video killed the radio star

New order - Leave Me alone, Your Silent Face, elegia, blue monday

Fine young cannibals

The cure- Close to me, Faith/Seventeen Seconds, a night like this

Joy division (ian curtis)- Shadowplay, Something Must Break, she’s lost control, love will tear us apart, heart and soul, new dawn fades, dead souls, insight, add all of unknown pleasures, novelty, digital, day of lords

Duran Duran- save a prayer

Flock of Seagulls- I ran 

Prince

Thompson Twins- hold me now

Depeche Mode- everything counts

Parliment - Flashlight

U2 (bono) 

The Police (Sting)- every breath you take

Madonna- Borderline, Lucky Star, Into the Groove

Blade Runner (Movie)

Rod Stewart

Wham- Everything she wants

Hall and Oates

The Cars- just what i needed, best friends girl, moving in stereo

Tina Turner

The Go Gos

Adam and the Ants- ‘kings of wild frontier’, Goody two shoes

Eurythmics-1984

The Fixx

Van Halen - aint talkin bout love, hot for teacher, panama

Bon Jovi

Bruce Springsteen

Aretha Franklin

Peter Gabriel- Sledgehammer

Culture Club- Do You really want to hurt me 

Tears for fears- pale shelter, mad world, change, memories fade

Michael Jackson-  billie jean, beat it

Jim morrison

The doors

Please please let me get what I want 

Rock you like a hurricane 

Joan Jet

Paul hardcastle - 19

Frankie Goes to Hollywood- Two Tribes

Erasure

The Romantics

Sisters Of Mercy

Howard Jones

Rick Springfield

INXS - dont change

Echo and The Bunnymen- the killing moon

10,000 maniacs

Pet Shop Boys- West End Girls, king’s cross

Led Zeppelin

Love and Rockets- Ball Of Confusion

B52’s- Give me back my man, rock lobster

The bridge on river kwai, movie

Hank Williams

Don Henley - boys of summer

Ultravox - Dancing with Tears in my eyes

Dead or Alive- you spin me right round

J Geils band

Whitney houston- saving all my love

Sheena Easton

Beastie Boys

Phil Collins

Huey Lewis

Falco

Janet Jackson

Robert Palmer

Def Leppard- Pour some sugar on me

Bow Wow Wow

Beach boys

Iron maiden

Killing Joke- 80s

Al Stewart- Year of the cat

Mr Mister - Broken Wings

Crucifucks - democracy spawns bad taste

Blancmange

Glen Campbell - Rhinestone Cowboy

James taylor

Patridge Family

The church - under the Milky Way, reptile 

Sex Pistols 

David Bowie 

Billy idol

Marine Girls

Simply red

Sade

Bryan Adams

Joe Jackson- is she really going out with him

The pretenders

Talking heads

Jim croce

Janis ian

Yaz- winter kills

Skinny puppy 

Spandau ballet - True

A-ha- take on me

Ready for the world

Pat benatar-you better run

Kraftwerk

Howard Jones

Black flag

Hotel california

Modern English- machines

Dexy’s Midnight Runners

Throbbing gristle- hamburger lady

Blondie

Missing persons

Jimi hendrixx

The ramones

Bob seeger

Clan of xymox

Brain eno

The human league- dont you want me 

Naked eyes- ‘burning bridges’

Visage - fade to grey

The vapors- Turning Vapors

Aimee mann

Bangles- hero takes a fall

Simple minds - orgasm addict

Agnostic Front

Pink floyd - ‘darkside of the moon’, comfortably numb

John Cougar- jack and diane, ‘american fool’

The fall - a new face in a hell

Stray cats- ‘built for speed’

William shatner - ‘the transformed man’

Cyndi lauper- Time after time, girls just wanna have fun

T. rex - Bang a gong (get it on)

Anne murray - Just one look

Barbara streisand - Woman in love

Bronski beat- smalltown beat

Minor threat- seeing red

Angry samoans- my old man’s a fatso

Harry nilson- coconut

The style council- youre the best thing

George thoroughgood- Bad to the bone

Ave maria

Grease- Hopelessly devoted to you,

Summer nights, Beauty School Drop out, you’re the one that I want

Stevie nicks - stop draggin my heart around

Joan jett - do you wanna touch me, i love rock and roll

The cars- Moving in stereo, All mixed up

Ll cool j - momma said knock you out 

Simon and garfunkel - The sound of silence 

Japan - gentleman take the polaroids

Run DMC - It’s like that

Reo speedwagon- time for me to fly

Kissing the pink - maybe this day

Beatle’s- ‘abbey road’

The who- who are you

Murray head- one night in bangkok

Janis joplin - piece of my heart

Roxy music - More Than This

Sigue sigue Sputnik - twenty first century boy

U2-Gloria

Blancmange-waves

ABC - poison arrow

Romeo void - a girl in trouble

Til Tuesday- coming up close

Scritti politti - perfect way

George Michael - Careless whisper

Mozart-requiem

Rex tremendae 

Undertones- teenage kicks 

Berlin - take my breath away

Missing persons - destination unknown

REM - fall on me 

Laurie Anderson- sharkeys day

Culture club - do you really want to hurt me

The Egyptian Lover - Egypt, Egypt 

Grandmaster flash - White lines 

Afrika Bambatta - Planet rock

Prince- When doves cry

David Bowie - let’s dance

Hall and Oates- I can’t go for that 

George Romero - dawn of living dead

Naked Raygun - Rat Patrol

Bananarama - Cruel Summer

Aztec Camera - Oblivious

Quiet Riot - Cum on Feel the Noise

Cameo - Shake Your pants

Patti Smith - Dancing Barefoot

Bauhaus - dark entries

Cheap trick - I want you to want me

AC/DC - Hells Bells

The scorpions - ROck you like a hurricane

Loverboy - working for the weekend

Minor threat - i dont wanna hear it

Shock Therapy - new wave party

Gary numan - Cars

#playlist #mixtape #blogpost #yoursilentface #lovelansing #yoursilentfacetimlane #spotifyplaylist #newwavemusic #postpunkmusic #dancemusic #80smusic #clubbing #danceclub #80s #tbt #yoursilentfacethenovel #fiction #comingofage #NewWave #GenX #RustBeltFiction #NativeAmerican #graffiti #urbanpoetry

Your Silent Face: The Playlist Your Silent Face By Lane, Tim Buy on Amazon

lovelytheband, Joywave, Smallpools & more

I love making playlists. I love just sitting around drinking a beer, listening to music, or sitting up in bed, as is the case right now, just exploring music. I hope you enjoy this one: Nothing to Lose—7 songs, 22 min 42 sec.

#indiealt #playlist #playlistspotify #lovelansing #yoursilentface #lovelytheband #joywave #smallpools #saintnomad #sirsly #robertdelong #ashe #ufoufo #yoursilentfacetimlane

That One Time Turntable & Blue Light Published My Artwork & Poems

While cleaning out my bookmarks, I came across one that was saving a link from 2007. The link was to a journal called Turntable & Blue Light, which was put out by Arielle Guy (a poet living in Brooklyn). Turntable & Blue Light published three of my poems and a handful of images of paintings from the Lamb series. All of the work was from around 2006. It looks like there weren’t a ton of issues of TBL, and that the last issue came out in 2012. This is the nature of poetry journals: the editor publishes a bunch of poets and friends, networks, gets some poems published along the way, and then it all gets to be a bit much, stagnation sets in or life just moves on. Anyway, you can view the work, and read the poems, at the links below.

The paintings which appeared in Turntable & Blue Light are right here.

The three poems which appeared in Turntable & Blue Light are right here.

#poetry #brooklyn #zines #onlinepoetryjournals #yoursilentface #lovelansing

Why Not Put a Playlist in Somebody's Stocking?

Need a cool playlist to send to somebody for the holidays? Great gift idea, IMO. I have a couple of friends who, over the years, have sent me new music, old music, CDs, flash drives, playlists…

Send somebody one of my playlists! Or make a playlist for someone you love!

The links below are all 80s-themed playlists, but there are also playlists on my Spotify that encompass new music, jazz, classical and ambient themes.

Your Silent Face: The Playlist Get The Balance Ri-i-ght plus Red Skies at Night Ultra 80s Playlists One Ultra 80s Playlists Two Ultra 80s Playlists Three Ultra 80s Playlists Four