#you GENUINELY cannot look at the history of punk and go 'no politics here' because there isn't a single unifying ideology

[karmaphone]

why yes I am tagging every political punk post with some variation of PuNk IsNt PoLiTiCaL. headass because of that one dumbass attempting to separate a partially politically based subculture from the politics. why do you ask

[safety-pin-punk]

A joint statement from @polyamorouspunk and @safety-pin-punk- this is NOT a divorce kids, it’s just setting some bOuNdArIeS

Dear Punks,

We are gathered here today to talk about a shared view of the punk culture specifically in the tumblr bubble that we share between ourselves and also with so many of you.

To be frank, we get a lot of asks, which is a joy for both of us, and we love answering your questions with our opinions, other’s opinions, bouncing things off each other and our other mutuals, and directing you to anything that you might find helpful in your inquires. However, we get a LOT of asks specifically asking for permission or “Is it okay if I…”, and we really want to stress a point here:

Asking what you can and cannot do to be considered “punk” goes against being punk.

We get so many questions asking “will I be considered a poser if” and the best answer we can give you is: whatever your question is, the answer is PROBABLY going to be ”no, you wont be considered a poser”, BUT, asking if you’re going to be a poser if you do ‘xyz’ thing is gonna be what makes you look like a poser. Part of being a punk is deciding what’s right for YOU. It’s going AGAINST the grain. If you are ASKING what is acceptable, you are not ACTING in a punk manner. Punk isn’t about doing what someone says is okay, its about doing what you think is right.

Not only that, but it is very draining on both of us to receive numerous asks like this. As much as we want to answer every ask that comes our way because we genuinely WANT to help, for people to ask us questions, and to come to us for advice, when there’s a buildup in our inbox of questions asking for permission, one after another, they can be really draining. (And honestly, with how often we get asks about being a poser, the term feels very overused and watered down to the both of us). (We are taking the term poser away and putting it on the tall shelf kids).

Key loves getting asks about punk history and culture, and Punk loves getting asks about DIY tips, what’s worked for them, and both of us love talking music. In fact, we both listen to non-punk genres quite a lot as well, such as metalcore and pop rock. So, yes, we’re both team “You don’t need to listen to punk music to be punk”. But like with everything else, there’s a level of subtext in that statement. There are so many different genres of punk music. There are also so many different genres of alternative music in general. When the two of us say “You don’t need to listen to punk music”, we are not talking about the people who listen to music that explicitly goes against punk values. And we would hope that if you are existing in punk spaces online, that you can reason your way to understanding that without us having to explain it every time it gets brought up. 

And that goes for more than just that specific idea, there’s a lot of things we say that should be taken with nuance and your own critical thinking skills should be applied to. And on top of that, its also important to remember that we ALL come from different backgrounds and have different life experiences that have shaped our views and opinions. Because of this, we would also like to point out that you should not be asking us questions that involve us being your moral compass. Asking for opinions is one thing, but asking for what right and wrong is another.

There are punks out there who we’re both mutuals with who have differentiating opinions on topics, like whether or not punk is a music-based or political subculture at heart. Us having differing opinions than some of our mutuals doesn’t mean that us or them are less punk than each other. Since part of being punk is about thinking for yourself and going against what the mainstream and the masses think, then it makes sense that we don’t all agree on the smaller details. When it comes down to the real big problems, on topics like fascism, or bodily autonomy, or queer rights, etc., that’s what really matters.

We’re not the perfect role models for punk culture. We’re messy, flawed, human beings like everyone else. We like problematic things. We say shit that doesn’t always come across the right way. We can get irked easily from things on tumblr, either by asks we get or posts we see. We’re more than just our blogs. We have whole other lives outside of our punk worlds. We have different styles of fashion, different music tastes, etc. We do not live and breathe being 100% the perfect punk 24/7, but we try our best to make a difference where we can.

We genuinely enjoy being part of this community, but we also reserve the right to not answer asks that make us uncomfortable in any way, even if they come from a place of genuine desire to do what’s right. And again, we both do genuinely enjoy questions that ask for our opinions on topics, but asking for our opinions is a LOT different than asking for permission, which is something that we’ve both said a few times, but we feel like might not be reaching everyone who is thinking about sending in an ask like that. We thank you for taking the time to read this, and hope that our friends and followers understand where we are coming from and respect our wishes and boundaries on these matters, and hope you choose to continue along with us on both our individual and joint content.

[polyamorouspunk]

A joint statement from @polyamorouspunk and @safety-pin-punk - this is NOT a divorce kids, it’s just setting some bOuNdArIeS

Dear Punks,

We are gathered here today to talk about a shared view of the punk culture specifically in the tumblr bubble that we share between ourselves and also with so many of you.

To be frank, we get a lot of asks, which is a joy for both of us, and we love answering your questions with our opinions, other’s opinions, bouncing things off each other and our other mutuals, and directing you to anything that you might find helpful in your inquires. However, we get a LOT of asks specifically asking for permission or “Is it okay if I…”, and we really want to stress a point here:

Asking what you can and cannot do to be considered “punk” goes against being punk.

We get so many questions asking “will I be considered a poser if” and the best answer we can give you is: whatever your question is, the answer is PROBABLY going to be ”no, you wont be considered a poser”, BUT, asking if you’re going to be a poser if you do ‘xyz’ thing is gonna be what makes you look like a poser. Part of being a punk is deciding what’s right for YOU. It’s going AGAINST the grain. If you are ASKING what is acceptable, you are not ACTING in a punk manner. Punk isn’t about doing what someone says is okay, its about doing what you think is right.

Not only that, but it is very draining on both of us to receive numerous asks like this. As much as we want to answer every ask that comes our way because we genuinely WANT to help, for people to ask us questions, and to come to us for advice, when there’s a buildup in our inbox of questions asking for permission, one after another, they can be really draining. (And honestly, with how often we get asks about being a poser, the term feels very overused and watered down to the both of us). (We are taking the term poser away and putting it on the tall shelf kids).

Key loves getting asks about punk history and culture, and Punk loves getting asks about DIY tips, what’s worked for them, and both of us love talking music. In fact, we both listen to non-punk genres quite a lot as well, such as metalcore and pop rock. So, yes, we’re both team “You don’t need to listen to punk music to be punk”. But like with everything else, there’s a level of subtext in that statement. There are so many different genres of punk music. There are also so many different genres of alternative music in general. When the two of us say “You don’t need to listen to punk music”, we are not talking about the people who listen to music that explicitly goes against punk values. And we would hope that if you are existing in punk spaces online, that you can reason your way to understanding that without us having to explain it every time it gets brought up. 

And that goes for more than just that specific idea, there’s a lot of things we say that should be taken with nuance and your own critical thinking skills should be applied to. And on top of that, its also important to remember that we ALL come from different backgrounds and have different life experiences that have shaped our views and opinions. Because of this, we would also like to point out that you should not be asking us questions that involve us being your moral compass. Asking for opinions is one thing, but asking for what right and wrong is another.

There are punks out there who we’re both mutuals with who have differentiating opinions on topics, like whether or not punk is a music-based or political subculture at heart. Us having differing opinions than some of our mutuals doesn’t mean that us or them are less punk than each other. Since part of being punk is about thinking for yourself and going against what the mainstream and the masses think, then it makes sense that we don’t all agree on the smaller details. When it comes down to the real big problems, on topics like fascism, or bodily autonomy, or queer rights, etc., that’s what really matters.

We’re not the perfect role models for punk culture. We’re messy, flawed, human beings like everyone else. We like problematic things. We say shit that doesn’t always come across the right way. We can get irked easily from things on tumblr, either by asks we get or posts we see. We’re more than just our blogs. We have whole other lives outside of our punk worlds. We have different styles of fashion, different music tastes, etc. We do not live and breathe being 100% the perfect punk 24/7, but we try our best to make a difference where we can.

We genuinely enjoy being part of this community, but we also reserve the right to not answer asks that make us uncomfortable in any way, even if they come from a place of genuine desire to do what’s right. And again, we both do genuinely enjoy questions that ask for our opinions on topics, but asking for our opinions is a LOT different than asking for permission, which is something that we’ve both said a few times, but we feel like might not be reaching everyone who is thinking about sending in an ask like that. We thank you for taking the time to read this, and hope that our friends and followers understand where we are coming from and respect our wishes and boundaries on these matters, and hope you choose to continue along with us on both our individual and joint content.

[emiko-matsui]

hello this is my official list of what i think every member of the bau would work with if they wouldn't work at the bau like if that wasn't a reality you get me

——

Jason Gideon: look i know this is technically canon but i truly do think he would be an author and would guest lecture a bit in his later years and like sure he could still write true crime books but also just regular crime novels i think this old man would just like to write

Jennifer "JJ" Jareau: i think she would work inside of the media, not in front of the camera necessarily but as a communicator or similarly inside of the media and the news. however i think there's a possibility of a divergence of path for her, i think its possible she could end up in a hostage situation due to her job in a similar situation like in neon terror and would start working out as a coping mechanism and like genuinely would pick up a (extra?) job as a personal trainer at her gym

Derek Morgan: firefighter. that's it i don't know what to say other than that, derek would 500% be a firefighter. there's nothing else. now that i think about it derek should've been a firefighter from the beginning fuck the bau this is his true calling don't even @ me

Elle Greenaway: similarly to JJ i think elle would work inside of the media but as an investigative journalist. well i think she would start out as a regular journalist but become an investigative journalist after a while because her drive would be too big you get me. also niche but i think that when she was a teen she was like briefly a singer like you know robin from how i met your mother but she would've made angry girl music

Aaron "Hotch" Hotchner: genuinely don't think this punk could stay away from the government so i think he would still work a fancy government job just not inside of the bau, maybe not even the fbi but i so think he'd still be in government. now what i have no idea because i know nothing about the government especially the american government seeing as im not even remotely american

David "Dave" Rossi: now i don't even know if this fucking counts but you know those really fancy shops that are like made of dark smelling wood and is called something extravagant with a cursive gold font and they sell like cigar or wine or herbal products or like mustache wax or whatever the fuck you know the places im talking about. i think rossi would work there and be that old man at the counter who will come up and talk to you and you have no idea if he just works there and is really invested in this stuff or if he owns the place or just a really weird costumer but then he's the one you pay too so you assume it's his but the moment you step out of the store you've forgotten his face and you never want to go back there but you always think about it once a month or something. if you don't know what kinda place im talking about consider yourself lucky

Penelope Garcia: if the bau wasn't even a prospect here there's no question that penelope would still be a hacker illegally and make most of her money from there but i also think that she would work in a small second hand shop with lots of old trinkets and clothes and stuff just because she genuinely thinks it's fun to work there and also the old woman who owns the shop lets her be on the computer when there's no costumers in the store. i just think she would sit there in her cupcake dress next to a ceramic old cat from the 1930s talking to bernice about her grandson while hacking jeff bezos on her computer

Spencer Reid: now it's time for spencer all over the place reid who i think would work at like one of those really prestige but still public libraries where like everyone is welcome but they have like locked rooms with super valuable books and stuff and he kinda does whatever there bc sometimes he gives tours talking about thr history of the building and stuff and sometimes you find him at the counter ready to guide you to the specific book you're looking for plus twenty other recommendations you should read if you like this book and sometimes you find him in a window reading and his coworkers politely ignore he's had his "break" for three hours now bc he guided 17 tours yesterday (only ten were scheduled) and they suspect he mightve slept here. plus in his spare time i think he would do some independent work to keep him stimulated with stuff but that's not a fully developed idea yet

Stephen Walker: this might be controversial but i think stephen would be a guidance counsellor at like a school and i don't know why but he has the vibe and i think he would be quite good at it. maybe he just gives me more official jawbone vibes from dimension 20

Emily Prentiss: i firmly believe this woman cannot hold down a job for her life. i think the bau and interpol were flukes in her reality because im quite certain emily would physically not be able to keep one job for longer than a year. if you mention a job she's probably done it. she's done everything from high positions in government to bagging groceries to leading seminars to breeding puppies. listen emily prentiss is a lesbian ex goth trust fund kid (like canonically yall). i think right now she's working with the lights for a theatre production and she's liking it and seems to have a knack for it

Tara Lewis: this one's out there but i think she would work as a principal at a university (do universities have principals?). but like the one who's in charge of a school but like advanced studies with like adults study after they've already studied if you know what i mean. idk i just think that's what she would be

Luke Alvez: hate to do this to luke but he would simply just be a cop. or like a detective (that's like a promotion for a cop in america right? bro my knowledge extends to brooklyn 99 and brooklyn 99 only). i hope this is because i feel like luke is the serious crime version of jake peralta and jake is the sitcom version of luke. anyway, cop

Matt Simmons: this is my magnum opus but bro i think he would be a podcaster. i think he would do a podcast with kristy. for everyone who follows my blog think justin and sydnee mcelroy but matt is sydnee. i think they would have a little podcast together. after his unit at the fbi (?) got got by linda barnes i think he would retire home and start doing podcasting full time with kristy. this is my hot take

Kate Callahan: because such a central part of kate's personality/backstory is that her sister died in 9/11 i think that kate would've been a nurse. specifically a nurse not a doctor and i don't think it's because a lack of competence or anything like that fuck u no i genuinely think kate wanted to be a nurse and chose to study to become that. her hours would still be crazy but maybe meg isn't as worried about her now

Ashley Seaver: i don't have a lot for seaver but i think she would work in local government more centralised like those guys from parks and rec and yes i realise ive made way too many references that some people might not understand but here we are. i think seaver would do whatever leslie does in parks and rec or something like that

Alex Blake: this is just a formality to have her on here because she's literally a linguistics professor in the show

[chickpeatalia]

I heard "working class!Arthur" and I can't think of anything else yes please!!!

Anon, I know you didnt exactly ask for it, but now that you have put the words “working class!Arhur” into my ask box, you have practically opened pandoras box so I’m just gonna go ahead and talk about it anyway. *mwua*  First things first, I shall note that I am not in fact British, so I might not get a few things right. Second, what we’re gonna talk about today is a rather specific human AU that lives in my head.  Third, this ended up being....incredibly long, I’m sorry. The rest is under the cut!

So, why is working class Arthur splendid?

Obviously, there are many different version of how to do a human AU, and oftentimes fandom likes to go down the rich/royal/elite!Arthur route. Which, in fact, is super valid and oftentimes quite fun too. I like these versions too. However, I think oftentimes a working class background is favourable because 1) it makes more sense, to me, on a meta level  and 2) it has a certain charm to it.

Lets consider the meta level first: - despite stereotypes, Great Britain does not consist of aristocracy and royals alone. What are 600 arstocratic families to 60 million of the rest of the population? - the Industrial Revolution started in Great Britain - factory work, steel mills, textile and most prominently, coal mines in the North of England were all operated by the workers. I feel like in Britain, social classes matter way more than on continental Europe, and also to me personally the working class seemed like a particularly important one, historically speaking. Okay, enough history for now, so lets get into the human AU: - Arthur, who grows up in a large family with four brothers (Alasdair & Dylan who are older. And Sean & Peter who are younger) - his parents had Alasdair very early on and you know how it is. With a baby on the way, you got to make the best out of it and take the first stable job you get. (Which was in Glasgow at the time). - but unforntunately high unemployment rates hit the country, especially the working class (thanks Maggie T</3) and what to do if you lose your job and no new work is to be found? Well, you just go and look somewhere else. In the Kirklands’ case, that somewhere else is Cardiff, Wales where Dylan is born. - So they end up sort of moving quite a lot, practically in every part of the UK, in hopes of finding stable jobs for a bit. - Eventually they settle in a suburb of Manchester, England at long last.

- And life goes on

- They recycle so much clothes between the brothers. A good 40% if not more of Arthur’s clothes used to be either Alasdair’s or Dylan’s. - In turn, Sean and Peter also get Arthur’s old school uniforms. Theyre not particularly nice after all these years, but look, they have five kids. They simply don’t have the money for new ones. ( “Says much about the efficiency of a system when it forces you to wear school uniforms in order to avoid social stigmatisation and yet makes you buy the uniforms yourself, as if richer people couldn’t afford the better ones anyway.” Arthur would say darkly) - lots and lots of second hand shopping. (this is where Arthur got is first leather jacket and Doc Martens from, and yes, this is also when his punk phase has started) - thus his outfits tend to look quite ...interesting. A various mix of old jumpers from the 90s, Dylan’s old plaid shirts and some band t-shirt he got for £5. - one year, he and his brothers were looking for a gift for their mum’s birthday. Arthur didn’t have any cash anymore (yes, it was after he bought the Doc Martens, sacrifies had to be made), so he suggested he tried to bake her a cake. Much cheeper than any other gift. Obviously his brothers mocked him for it (until they actually tried the cake and found out that it actually tasted quite good). Since then Arthur took up baking here and there, and his brothers while not encouraging, do not mock him anymore. They do hope he makes the lemon cake again for Ma’s next birthday though

- SCHOOL ho boy... so the thing is, Arthur is rather clever.

- Academically, he was above average. Acing it in subjects like English and History, being quite good in French (no, he does not bring this fact up often...or...at all), and getting decently by in the rest. Except that one time in PE when he got rowdy with the other boys during a football match (no, not our boy’s brightest moment). - He is intelligent, he even understands subject that he doesn’t particular like, like chemistry. He is quick-witted and sharp tongued and has a natural talent for words and writing. Even rather sophisticated articles and topics do not resent a challenge for him. - Naturally, Arthur toys with the thought of going to university and immediately wants to slap himself for that ridiculous idea. - The thing is, nobody in his family has gone to university so far. Like, he has no, absolute no frame of reference what it entails. - Being from a working class family and then going to university is a scary thing, man. - also, being £30,000 in dept by age 18 is a terror of its own kind - Eventually, he contemplates applying maybe perhaps for the local university and that information seeps through to Alasdair who found it to be a rather ridiculous endeavour. - “Look, you’re shitting your pants about this application one way or another, so why not just go immediately for the top universities instead. If you get rejected, well, at least you got rejected by one of the top universities in the world. But if you get accepted....” “Aw, are you saying you think I could get accepted by one of the best universities in the world?” “I’m not saying anything, you wee little shit. Don’t put words in my mouth. But......being the overachieving know-it-all that you are, you might have a chance.” - For as long as he lives, Arthur’s never gonna admit it but this conversation might have really been the most meaningful thing Alasdair has ever said to him. - And yes, he does apply and yes he does get accepted.

FURTHER HEADCANONS:

- he toned it down by now but the punk never died in him. lots of LGBT+ pins on his jackets too. - that being said, he hates it when people think punk is an aesthetic rather than a political stance (”You cannot be bloody punk and right wing. You just cannot!”) - genuinely likes the taste of beer. Or it might be that it was the cheepest alcoholic beverage he could manage to buy. Situation unclear. - is so prone to get into bar fights oh dear lord when he says “fight me”, he genuinely is 100% down to throw hands even if you beat him bloody - obviously, always votes Labour - will call you a cunt if you’re a Tory - unrelated to anything, but I think he’d wear earrings regularly and they’d be cute - also, has a tendency to dye his hair in crazy colours when he is under pressure - one last thing: oftentimes, Arthur strikes people as incredibly cynic or gloomy or ‘overly engaged in politics’, but growing up the way he grew up, facing so many hardships through the years of which many were directly caused by careless conservative politics...its just hard not to be cynic. My final words here are: this is most definitely not what you were looking for when you sent that ask, anon, but I seriously needed to get this out of my system. If anyone wants to ever talk about my favourite boy Arthur, my ask box is always open.

Thanks for coming to my TED talk<3

[doshmanziari]

Musical Offerings for the New Year || What is “Radical Music” in 2021?

Near the end of 2020, a bunch of musicians populating a chatroom, including myself, each submitted ten minutes’ worth of our work to another musician, Chimeratio, who generously compiled it all into a set totaling nearly ten hours.¹ The work didn’t need to be new; just what we thought might best represent our abilities/style(s) and/or perhaps what we were especially pleased with. The set premiered in late January. Since I have some tentative plans for reorienting Brick By Brick this year, while not overriding its emphases, I wanted to share that music with anyone who’s interested.

I compiled the four videos into a playlist, although you can also access them individually: here (1), here (2), here (3), and here (4). If you care to, and are on a computer, you can also view the accompanying chatlog and read people’s responses from when they were listening to the live broadcast.

The compulsion for this project was sparked by excited discussions over and usage of the term “digital fusion”, most helpfully propagated by Aivi Tran, designating a computer-based body of work that for years lacked the rooftop of a commonly agreed upon genre-name. While describing my music has never been a big concern, even if it’s usually felt impossible (what, for example, is this? or this? I dunno!), I’ve appreciated how the spread and application of this term has brought together people who may have felt isolated.²

As “digital fusion” gained designative traction, I witnessed the activity in the aforementioned chatroom explode over the course of a few days. Before, a day’s discussion might’ve been a few dozen messages; now, there were dozens of messages every half-minute. This had positive and negative ramifications, the negative being that conversations often proceeded at a pace of rapidity which precluded concentrated thought. Eventually, I bowed out because the rapidity exceeded my threshold for meaningful interaction; but I was glad that significant invigoration was going on.

I wanted to share this music also because it intersects with thoughts and talks I’ve been having stemming from the question, “What is ‘radical music’ in 2021?” This was stimulated by a 2014 talk given by the writer Mark Fisher, wherein he contends that, were we to play prominent “cutting edge” music from now to people twenty years ago, very nearly none of it would be aesthetically shocking, bizarre, or revelatory (think of playing house music to an audience in the early 1960s!). Fisher also observes a trend of returning to music which once was seen as the future -- as if, deprived of a shared prograde vision, imaginations turn hazily retrograde; ergo, genres such as synthwave or albums like Daft Punk’s Random Access Memories.

It isn’t my goal here to argue about the “end of history.” Fisher’s time-travel hypothetical, however, rings loud and true to me. Visible musical radicalism has, for at least a decade, been strictly extra-musical, in the sense of songs like “This is America” or “WAP”, where one’s response is primarily to the spectacle of the music video, the performer’s identistic markers, and/or the manner in which the lyrics intersect with (mostly US-centric) ideological hotspots. Musically, there is really nothing radical here. Any vociferous condemnations or defenses of a song like “WAP” deal in moralizing reactions to semantics or imagery: how progressive or regressive is the political aspect? how propelled or repelled are we by the word “pussy”?

It would be a mistake, and simply wrong, to assert that the only music one can enjoy escapes the parameters outlined above; and my inability to coherently categorize some of my own music hardly raises that portion to the status of radicality. But the question here pertains to what is being made, and I think that if we’re going to seriously consider the nature of truly radical music today, we do need to question if such a quality can prominently exist when our hyper-fast consumerist cycle seems to forbid not just sustained, lifelong relationships to artwork but also the local, unhurried nourishment of creative gestation. Now, in my opinion, there are good, even great, examples of radical music still being made in deep Internet-burrows, and for evidence of that I would offer some of the material contained in the linked playlists. Moreover, I’d say that this quality can exist in part because these little artistic communities are so buried.

Let me share a quote that another person shared with me recently:

For culture to shift, you need pockets of isolated humanity. Since all pockets of humanity (outside of the perpetually isolated indigenous people in remote wilderness) are connected in instantaneous fashion, independent ideas aren’t allowed to ferment on their own. When you cook a meal, you have to bring ingredients together that have had time to grow, ferment, or decompose separately. A cucumber starts out as a seed, then you mix it with the soil, water and sunlight. You can’t bring the seed, soil, water and sunlight to the kitchen from the get-go. When you throw those things in to the mixture without letting them mature, the flavor cannot stand out on its own. Same thing with art and fashion. A kid in Russia can come up with a new way to dance, gets filmed on a phone, it goes viral quickly but gets lost in the morass of all of the other multitudinous forms of dance. Sure it spread far and wide, but it gets forgotten in a week. In the past, his new art form would have been confined locally, nurtured, honed, then spread geographically, creating a distinct new cultural idiosyncrasy with a strong support base. By the time it was big enough to be presented globally, it was already a cultural phenomenon locally. This isn’t possible anymore. We’re consuming too many unripened fruits.

The main impression I have here is that radical music today will, and must be, folk music. Our common idea of folkiness might be the scrappy singer strumming a guitar, but my interpretive reference rather has to do with the idea of a music being written, first of all, for one’s self, and then shared with a small-scale community, which in turn helps the artist grow at their own pace. This transcends a dependence upon image, the primacy of acoustic instrumentation, or the signaling of sincerity versus insincerity. It is a return to the valuation of outsider art, so rare nowadays. As someone who I was recently in dialogue with wrote, “Where can you find new genuine folk music? Pretty much just with your friends, imo. Even then, the global world is so influential and seeps into any crack it can find. I think vaporwave was radical and folk for a while. Grant Forbes made that music way before the world knew about it.”

Sometimes, a lot of fuss is made over what’s seen as “gatekeeping” within certain communities. It can be, depending on the context, justifiable to question and critique this behavior. At other times, the effort of maintaining a level of exclusivity, of retaining an idiosyncratic shapeliness to the communal organism, can be a legitimate attempt to protect the personal, interpersonal, and cultural aspects from the flattening effect of monoculture. Hypothetically, I welcome the Castlevania TV series and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate having introduced new and younger demographics to Castlevania. In actuality, stuff like “wholesome sad gay himbo Alucard”, image macros, and neurotic “stan” fanfiction being what’s now first associated with the series makes me want to put as much distance as possible between my interests and those latecoming impositions.

The group-terminology David Chapman uses in his essay “Geeks, MOPs, and Sociopaths in Subculture Evolution” is kinda cringey, but some of the cultural/behavioral patterns he lays out are relevant to the topic. Give it a look. If we cross his belief that “[subcultures] are no longer the primary drivers of cultural development” with our contemporary consume-and-dispose customs, we’re left with the predicament of it’s even worth attempting to bring radical/outsider art beyond its rhizomatic habitat. This is troubling, because it would mean that artistic radicality no longer might not only refuse to but cannot encompass cultural upheaval. It would be like if dance music were invented and -- instead of progressively permeating nightlife, stimulating countercultural trends, and ultimately being adapted as the basis for pop music globally -- only were listened to via headphones by a few thousand people on their own, stimulated a group meeting once a year or two, and never affected music beyond a niche-within-a-niche. That’s a very sad picture to me.

⁂

¹ Chimeratio has also maintained an excellent blog on here dedicated to looking at videogame music written in irregular time signatures, far preceding higher-profile examinations like 8-bit Music Theory’s video on the same topic.

² For myself, creative isolation has had its uses, because it has led me down routes that are highly personalized. The isolation can be dispiriting too. Although a lot of my music is videogame-music-adjacent, almost none of it uses “authentic” technology, such as PSG synthesizers or FM synthesis; and the identification of those sounds is fairly important for recognition.

[grapecaseschoices]

Small Detective Asks: Pierre Lin

1. What's their name and how do they look?

Pierre Lin. (My favorite PicCrew). He is over six-feet with an athletic, muscular build. He’s of E. Asian Descent (mainly Vietnamese). He’s often well dressed but in a simple yet stylish manner. His hair though cut short is a little long up top, so it falls in his eyes (though it starts the day perfectly styled!) His expression is serious but not harsh. He’s been known to shoot smiles and fond expressions, yes even in the work place.

2. Why did they join the police?

He joined for the structure and the rules. It is funny because he does have a lowkey impulsive streak and occasionally isn’t as by the book as he first comes off (he kept his coffee cup in the autopsy room scene; what a rebel! Whatever, it was cold). But overall, he’s a bit of that boy scoutTM stereotype. 

3. How did they get the promotion to detective and what do they think about it?

I honestly cannot remember but, surprisingly, he didn’t want it.

4. Can they handle blood/gore?

Yesssss …. Ish? He’s squeamish but he’ll breathe in / out through his mouth and do what he needs to do. 

5. How are they with people?

He’s pretty good with people. As I listed on his summary/stat page, his strongest stat is his friendliness. He is also strongly a team player. I see Pierre’s approach to be very sympathetic. It’s bleeding heart but make it reserved. He wants to do the Right Thing. This is in the general sense. Specifically, in relationships, making friends -- he’s also reserved. He has teasing humor that peaks out and he tries to be easy but he’s no pushover. He prefers a peacekeeping / making diplomatic approach but if you’ve crossed a line he’s not quick to make allowances (ie, his current strain with Rebecca though they started strongly. They’re working on it.) He can be a little impatient with people who exasperate him and he CAN get exasperated (Douglas, Mason and Ava have learned this, lol. And Bobby knows this well :-|)

In short: Pierre is tender-hearted but firm. 

He has his awkward moments too but I’m going to stop rambling.

6. What's their relationship to Bobby?

I answered this here but: Fuc. THAT. BITCH. Bobby pushes his buttons far more than he wishes he would. They were exes. Mistakes were made. Pierre regrets them.

7. Who is their Love Interest and why?

Copying from the last time I answered this: 

~~uwu~~ Felix~~~ Ahem. Because Felix gets under his skin in the best of ways. I wanted to do a tol vs smol. And thought it’d be funny to have someone more by the book, fumbling with F. Felix is the best thing since sliced bread in Pierre’s book. They balance each other yet are both naturally warm people who want the best for others. And each other. They are my sunshine, soft ship. It is so delightful to read. Especially, as Pierre is more – he wants to take things slowly. Even though Felix is ready to GO. The care. The respect. The affection Felix gives him? Ugh. It’s just what someone whose ex was Bobby needs. It’s what Pierre deserves. And likewise Pierre is a warm, teasing, steady presence that I feel is good for Felix. BALANCE~~~@@!!!!

I will add to this and say that they are going to kill me in book three. I just know it. I think it continuously surprises Pierre how into him Felix is. And I think it surprises him how into Felix he is, or more -- how good and just supportive and delightful it can be. (Did I mention that Bobby fucked him up?) 

8. What's their relationship with their mom like? How did it change?

They were so strong. They were close. I think he was probably her golden boy and I think he -- did his best to understand why she wasn’t there.  I think he admired that she did important shit. But finding out what it was, HOW MUCH she’d been lying / what she’d been lying about gave them a hit. I think some of it is misplaced anger and other of it is -- or maybe not so much misplaced but it’s easiest to put a lot of it on her (which isn’t fair). But a lot of it is genuinely … disappointment. Maybe she couldn’t tell him but she could’ve better prepared him. The trust is broken. But it’s slowly repairing, I think. He loves her. She’s his mom. But they didn’t end where they started -- and they’re definitely not back to that place yet. 

9. What do they think of the supernatural?

I’m trying to remember -- but he’s sort of taking it as it comes. He’s the sort to take things as presented. So he’s cautious but isn’t like …. Argh! Hateful or fearful. Really, for him, it’s like well fuck -- more people to take care of. LMAO. 

10. How well did they handle the reveal that the supernatural exists?

I honestly don’t remember. It was months ago. But I think pretty okay. He was confused. And I can see Pierre having some trepidation but I think overall he was okay, definitely some restless nights overthinking things. 

11. Do they have any tattoos/ piercings?

He has two tattoos. I haven’t decided what yet. One on his right ankle and other on his upper left arm. (Probably.)

12. What is their highest (professional) stat and why?

People/Psychology (it really jumps like a good almost 15 percent by the end of book two). Softe. I honestly would not be surprised if he took a psychology class 

13. What's their opinion of the Mayor?

He is the mayor. That is pretty much it. At the end of the day, he’ll be afforded the professionalism that the position affords him. 

14. Do they get along with Tina and Verda?

Yes. If I recall correctly, he leans a little closer to Verda - even though it was a slow start. But he’s also fond of Tina and respects her. How can one not be?

15. What do they think of Unit Bravo? How has that changed throughout the story?

As a whole? Yes. It’s definitely gotten more positive. It’s gotten warmer -- in particular to Ava. He didn’t … I don’t think Ava disliked him but she clearly wasn’t happy. But they were both fairly neutral. Mason gets on his nerves less lmao. There’s an increased fondness and definitely a better appreciation. And with time comes learning / understanding. I think he’s a lot more fond of Ava and Mason than he realizes, as well as being part of the team as a whole. He was always open to working together but it’s like less I am working with these agents and more these are this team (less as in he’s in charge and more, these are his people.) I’m honestly excited to play the SPOILER investigation in book three with the history earned from books one and two. 

He’s always liked Nat. Felix still has him fucked up, lmao. 

16. Do they have any pets?

No. And he’ll say he doesn’t want one. But there’s this fat ass cat in his apartment. Pierre isn’t helping (or maybe he’s helping the right amount.) They’re friends. It legit downs his day when Mr. Sylvester doesn’t come to visit him during the weekends. 

17. What are their hobbies?

He enjoys reading. He also likes repairing older books. Nothing big or fancy. But it’s something he does for friends (what friends?? Just him and Verda and Eric being nerds). Mostly textbooks but also paperbacks and hardcovers for novels. It’s mostly rebinding but he’s learning about embossing and recovering and etc. Because he’s a nerd. 

He sometimes visits the local hospital and takes the kids toys to repaint. He’s not a hard repair person. But if it requires fine work, he’s got really steady hands. 

18. What do they think of Douglas?

He tries not to think of Douglas. He does wish he could focus more on his work. And will continue discipline him, take that phone away, in hopes that SOMETHING sticks. He thinks he’s a little punk

19. What does their apartment look like?

A Grandma’s cottage, apparently. It’s a cosy aesthetic. He probably definitely has a worn lazy-e-boy and nice, fluffy carpets. It’s warm colors and rich fabrics. It does lean less single-man-in-his-thirties and older-woman-with-fifty-cats. But. At heart, isn’t he just? 

20. What is their personality?

Stats here.

Boy Scout. Pierre is solid, dependable, organized. He is more work than play. He is reserved -- and sometimes almost reticent but not quite. The fact that he’s just so stolid and comfortable sort of distracts from that. It is almost strange how comfortable he is because he is slow to warm to people, but he’s so genuine, so polite/nice that once you get to know him, it’s hard to remember a time where you felt approaching might’ve been rebuffed. He’s definitely the guy you want to comfort families. Because he’s sympathetic and he says the right things and because he doesn’t take pride in it.

Pierre is the sort of person who does what he has to do . He’ll tell the family that their loved ones died (though he wishes moments like this didn’t exist). He’ll grit his teeth and swallow down discomfort to give victims the respect of his assessment, to hear what the ME is saying, and take the information needed to do his jump. 

Pierre has lowkey levels of ‘fuck around and find out’ though. He isn’t a pushover, isn’t easy to forgive, and even his loved ones can take a hit -- he’s open to forgiveness but it’s slowly given and opportunities to earn it aren’t always easy. As I said earlier, he’s tender-hearted but firm. 

One of the things I like about Pierre though, other than he takes things as they come (which can be both good and bad), is him and emotions. He definitely lets himself feel them in the pace that he feels he needs to (not to say things don’t get away from him, or that people haven’t taken advantage of them - Bobby -they have and he’s been in some bad situations because of them). He’s an overthinker. He’s also a little mischievous with a teasing humor. He’s a teensy bit off kilter but it’s hard to miss because he Does The Right Thing and he’s seemingly Broad Shouldered and Straight Backed At All Times, but he isn’t. It’s part of what I love about him and Felix. He gets to indulge in being a teensy rebellious and then not turn around and feel bad about it later.

21. Their favourite/comfort food?

Rice. It’s a staple for a reason. Less a comfort and more a food he enjoys: Beef teriyaki. When it’s on a skewer? Let’s just say he has to be mindful of his self control. Ends up with enough sticks to build a small log cabin. 

22. Do they go to the bar or stay at the station?

He stayed at the station. He’s a homebody, a bit. So going out wasn’t his ideal. He also had work to do.

23. Their gender/sexuality?

He/him and he associates with his designation at birth (so cis male). He’s bisexual. 

24. How did they handle the fight with Murphy? Did they get bitten?

If I remember right, he did pretty well (I mean he ended up bleeding so, like. BUT CONSIDERING!). Murphy got captured but he did get bitten. 

25. What do they usually wear? Has that changed?

He goes from Modern to stylish/professional if I remember correctly. 

[hellyeahheroes]

Janet Van Dyne’s cameo in the Unstoppable Wasp #3

You know, recently I’ve been informed about an article claiming this book isn’t a feminist tile but is outright insulting to women. I won’t link this article, because it’s trash that masquerades as feminist piece in order to sneak whining about “SJWs” under the radar (if you want to look for it, it’s on Heat Street, a site that appears to be mostly trying to spread messages about “evils of feminism and the left” under the guise of progressive articles). And does a very bad job at it. But it managed to get me angry (”furious like a wasp” they’d fittingly say in my country) so I’m going to use this review to talk about some of the bullshit that is being thrown against this book.

One of the arguments raised by this “article” is that Nadia’s decision to use her skills to help other brilliant young women make a break is wrong and she should be fighting villains instead. Because apparently the author of the article somehow missed few decades of comics where Superheroes try to deal with real-life problems. And sure, sometimes the efforts are not good, like infamous Superman: Grounded by Joe Michael Straczynski, where Superman offers superficial and ignorant solutions to problems like drug dealers, and sometimes outright makes things worse. But Unstoppable Wasp is one of few books that approaches real life problem in a way that can actually be helpful.

Nadia is aware how lucky she is to be in the position she found herself after coming to America – she is not only a supergenius, but has means to freely work on whatever she wants and utilize her potential to the fullest. And she is aware not all genius girls can say the same.  In this issue, she meets two of such women. Lashaya Smith is dealing with her parents living in financial-necessary separation and being bullied at school and possibly also depression. Priya is dealing with awfully strict parents and is torn between her love for science and common assumption that being smart will not make you happy and a girl is better off being vapid and shallow, because then everyone like her (you know, awful crap that is put into kids heads at very young age thanks to careless shows like Teen Titans Go!). Nadia is respectful and if someone doesn’t want to join (like Lunella Lafayette, who is too preoccupied with her own book’s problems AND Inhumans problems) she won’t press the issue.

But here is the thing. This is an actual real problem that there are many talented women who, for various reasons, never have the opportunity to make it big. And the truth is that the best chance they have is if women who got luckier use position they’re on to reach their hand to them. I’m saying it as a male, most of the men will look first for other men and those who are willing to use their position to help women, while worth applause, are an exception, not the rule. In this field the best hope real women like Lashaya or Priya have is for women who are already there to help them. The Unstoppable Wasp will not solve the problem of the glass ceiling or how economic circumstances or social pressure stand in a way of young women accomplishing their dreams. But if at least one girl who reads this book makes it big, not only just in science but whatever her passion is, like art or performance or politics, and then reaches to help other women climb up, it will be a success.

Now, that awful article tries to criticize the book for “coming up” with the all-male List of world’s smartest people for Nadia to challenge. Like if that wasn’t a thing for over a decade. Like if the first mention of it cannot be traced to the creation of Amadeus Cho. The moment he was proclaimed 7th Smartest Man on Earth, Marvel jumped to put all their most  famous supergeniuses in the first six positions, creating Top 7 Smartest Men on Earth List (by the way, notice it ended with Cho on lowest position - because the point never was to create more appropriate Top 10, but to ensure all “classic” characters are better than the new guy). The article argues for the List to be a thing only in comic, despite being officially approved by Marvel, while “real” fans will always remember to mention Valeria Richards as one of the smartest people on Earth. Funny thing that when one of the comics (Dan Slott’s Mighty Avengers) showed Valeria punking Amadeus, Marvel not only didn’t acknowledge her place in the Top 7 – but removed Amadeus from it in Fall of Hulks, where members of Top 7 are kidnapped and Amadeus is spared by being retconned to be a lower number.

The list has a history of being incredibly sexist, and refusal to acknowledge Valeria’s position on it In-Universe is only one of the problems. You don’t need to look further than Jonathan Hickman’s atrocious New Avengers book. Starring an all-male team composed of members of the list and few extras (that were slowly faded out) it was infamous for an outright spiteful killing of women in the position of power (including Shuri, Queen of Wakanda, and Roma and Saturyne, leaders of Captain Britain Corps). It also spent it’s run throwing around numerous suggestions Valeria will in future grow into Black Swan, scantily-clad femme-fatale who has no interest in science. Instead, Black Swan is a terrorist, religiously devoted to writer’s favorite character and one of Top 7 guys, Doctor Doom.

Moon Girl & Devil Dinosaur and Unstoppable Wasp are first books actually challenging sexism that is at this point inseparable from the whole concept of the List. The article argues it is wrong for them to do so when Valeria exists, but if all she amounts to is a token to show “hey, girls can be smart too” in an all-boys adventure, especially one as sexist as Hickman’s New Avengers, then this argument is rubbish. Combined with the argument Nadia should use her knowledge to fight supervillains, not help other girls, it reeks of elitism. Of the incredibly selfish idea of feminism, where every woman is on their own and does nothing to help those in a worse position than her.

The use of Valeria as go-to “proof” Nadia and her group aren’t needed seems incredibly fitting. I mean, there was a reason why, when Warren Ellis’ 2007 series Planetary introduced villains that were stealing and destroying all that extraordinary in the world, they were based on Fantastic Four. This kind of elitism is very popular in superhero genre. It’s the bad way to write superheroes – show them as superior and looking down to those less lucky and gifted. “We’re adventures, my crewmates and I. On the human adventure. And you can’t all come along.” – Says Human Torch’s evil counterpart in Planetary, William Leather. This is the same kind of elitism that reeks from this article. I don’t know what motivates the author. Maybe she genuinely thinks herself a feminist. But it looks to me like she is one of the “alt-feminists” being currently pushed by far-right groups in an attempt to co-opt feminism for their cause. Or those feminists who made it big and only cared for themselves. And now when they see a mere suggestion they could have done more for other women, especially women of color, they have a very recognizable reaction:

This book is great. Buy it, even if it’s not your kind of thing. If only to spite those alt-“feminists” who cannot stand the idea of women actually helping each other and working together.

[punkmuseology-blog]

The hour is late and you know the time waits for no-one...

The Damned, Shadow of Love

Well, we’re late. Little rebels that we are. And we don’t care none, neither. Nah.

*cough*

Anyway. We meant to say...we got a bunch of stuff for you this month. Some of it happy, some of it sad. Some of it joyous, some of it angry. Some of it bear-shaped. And some of it gloriously, wonderfully, rainbow.

Revolverlution, make your brains explode/ When understanding, knowledge, wisdom/ Love, elevation and activism...Public Enemy, Revolverlution

We wanted to start with this piece from the Museums Association’s Chris Garrard, talking about tools for museum activism. It’s a start, and it’s ideologically commendable; but we need to see practical, pragmatic examples, solid things that can be done, issues to be tackled, methods for tackling them, and ways to self organise. Museums need to, also, consider their ethical and ontological stances here, and not engage in activism for the purposes of fashion, or to appeal to a particular political policy. If they are to be activists, it needs to go to the very heart of their organisation and be visible in every facet of their existence. Ethics of any kind - and particularly activist ethics - cannot be mere baubles decking Doric columns. They must be made to mean. How can they be made to mean? We’re thinking about that right now. Send us your thoughts on how museums can be activists, and what it means for them as institutions.

One of the things that museums can do, of course, is to be venues for the presentation of evidenced, scientifically gained, knowledge. We’re leery about using the term truth - bizarrely, perhaps, it’s a little too ambiguous for what we want to mean. Nonetheless, this article about the  Ingenium triumvirate in Canada showcases how it is possible for museums to be vendors of information, and ‘keepers of evidence.’

But should museums be activists? That’s the question pursued here by Museum Next. It’s an interesting survey indicating that whilst most people don’t see museums as activists, a large proportion of those under 30 think engagement with social issues would encourage them to visit. There’s also this really interesting piece on Museum Next which raises the thorny issue of museums becoming echo chambers if they choose to engage in activism. What do you think?

We think the answer to the question of whether museums should be activists is a big, defiant, yes. The echo chamber argument, taken to its logical extreme, suggests that one should never say anything, should never stand up for change, because you’ll only be speaking to those who already agree.

Not if you are passionate about being heard and use the power museums have as public institutions to start, shape and inform debate. Museums have consistently punched below their weight when it comes to shaping public discourse. Time to pick fights that matter.

Like any public performance or institution, museums are inherently political, and they always present a stance on issues; even, and especially, if that issue is demonstrably, loudly, absent from their programming. The performative mechanics of activism - ability to produce publicity, to articulate information, to argue and provide space for dissent - are already present in museums. They just need to be prepared to stand up for issues, and against abuse, and to shore this stance up with their heart and soul and blood and guts.

In Garrard’s article, we were particularly interested in the fact that, during his tenure at Dresden State Art Collection, Hartwig Fischer decided ‘not to remain neutral’ in the face of the far right Pegida movement. And yet the British Museum’s deal with oil giant BP remains in position for another five years. It’s interesting to see what people will and will not choose to speak out about that.

Speaking of BP, this short announcement from Art Not Oil is indicative of a truly disturbing willing blindness on the part of some of the UK’s most well known institutions. The report from Culture Unstained on the connection between BP and the National Gallery can be downloaded here, and is equally disturbing. I can’t think of any excuse for the environmental and human rights abuses uncovered in this report, and I cannot justify museums gaining sponsorship from a company so widely reviled. Nonetheless, the British Museum recently announced their latest BP sponsored exhibition, ‘Scythians - warriors of ancient Siberia'. It just won’t stop, will it?

Well, only if we let it. Every single one of us has a duty to refuse, point blank, to glitter shit. To stand up, speak out, and boycott if need be.

Who controls the past, controls the future...George Orwell, 1984

This response to a Guardian article about arts funding, and those it goes to, suggests that we do need to speak out, and that there needs to be support for emerging, grassroots organisations. It’s very easy to claim improvements, when there is still so much more to do. This is our purpose at Punk Museology - to agitate for further change, to never be satisfied whilst there remains disparity and inequality.

That said, museums can still be used to make fun of those in power. A museum of the current POTUS’s tweets? Good job, Daily Show, good job! Does the phrase ‘hoist by your own petard’ seem appropriate here? We think so.

And arts and museums are tackling social issues of way more significance and importance than the ravings of that orange bag of bollock pox. For instance, the charity Crisis have partnered with arts institutions around the UK to explore and discuss the ever increasing issue of homelessness. For one of us, the prevalence of homelessness in their home city has risen immeasurably in the last two years, and homeless people seem to be massing for justice; there have been many protests and tents sporting ‘Justice for the Homeless’ slogans have appeared across the town. Projects such as Art In Crisis, then, are important sources of validation and support and the exciting “Museum of Homelessness” is unabashed in the advocacy and activism they engage in. Their website comes highly recommended.

Artworks for Change is another great organisation advocating for museums to stand up. They work with artists to produce travelling exhibitions tackling a variety of issues, and tour with them to institutions worldwide. Fascinatingly, in light of the above echo chamber argument, they’ve found that their projects diversify audiences by up to 20%. That’s no echo chamber.

Then there’s the Climate Museum. Inspired by the Paris Agreement of 2015, this venture launched in 2016 with the mission of creating ‘a public space where we can gather to learn about climate change, face our fears, share solutions, and commit to change.’ That seems like a fairly decent mission to us.

For young activists-in-training, the People’s History Museum in Manchester runs pARTicipate, a session exploring historical and contemporary protest. It’s vital to teach kids to be critical citizens.

And then, oh and then, there are the Jodi Awards, which are enough to cause flutters of something warm and fuzzy in even the darkest of hearts. This year, one of us was lucky enough to be able to attend; and they cried. Real tears. This was a truly inspiring set of awards; rewarding real hard work, genuinely dedicated to inclusion, and improvements in life for people living with disabilities. Everyone should know about and support the Jodi Mattes Trust.

the children of the sun/ And the moon/ And the earth...Hedwig and the Angry Inch

Speaking of the warm and fuzzies, it was So. Damn. Good. to see museums coming out and supporting this year’s Pride, celebrating 50 years of decriminalisation. Here’s a bunch of lovely tweets for you to make you feel like things aren’t necessarily as bad as they sometimes seem. And, yes, there’s still much more to do and be done, in terms of tolerance and acceptance in the public, in museums, and in the LGBTQIA+ communities. And as long as there is still intolerance and violence and suicide and sadness and pain we have to work, and work hard, to make sure those things are eradicated. But if it’s a start you’re after, there’s one right here, where museums and political, activist engagement can acknowledge the coming of a new dawn, when who you love does not matter; merely, that you do.

First, there’s this lovely shout out to the people and museums appearing in support of Pride from Queering Museums (check out their podcast immediately!), and another one here. Then, the V&A flies the Pride Flag, along with their LGBTQ tour coordinator, @DanNouveau. The Science Museum got in on the act too. And, then, of course, there’s NMM Greenwich, showcasing the long history of diverse gender and sexual identities/performance in the Navy. @Theaidoo also celebrates her time at Pride in this lovely tweet citing the Museum of London and Charterhouse. Even the British Museum and National Gallery took part. And then, there’s this lovely t-shirt.

Photo by @art_love_learn on twitter, #MuseumPrideLDN

Beyond the Twittersphere, you’ll find more... if you know where to look.

https://www.artfund.org/what-to-see/exhibitions/2017/07/28/coming-out-exhibition

http://www.afterellen.com/people/490399-history-women-pride

Someplace, sometime, there’s always a sliver of rainbow.

Here’s a couple of stories about objects for you. This story about Chief Poundmaker’s belongings should show that objects are about so much more than just themselves, and have a power...to draw admiration, to condemn, and to demand justice.

Then, there are of course the sadder stories of objects - those which are lost due to corruption, illicit trade and war. Here is ICOM’s Red List of West African Cultural Objects at Risk.

But since I can't stay/ I'll just keep playing back/ These fragments of time/ Everywhere I go/ These moments will shine...Daft Punk, Fragments of Time

We’re going on a Bear Hunt!There are bears all around Birmingham, raising money for the Children’s Hospital. There’s a Spock one. We have more warm and fuzzies.  

We found the LA Punk Museum too! Don’t know how active they are, but it seems a great idea - a punk museum running events.

Recently, the Bishopsgate Institute (@BishopsgateInst) hosted an event called ‘We Are Angry: 200 Years of Protest in Britain.’ Did you go? Let us know what it was like. The Hammer Museum recently hosted a forum called ‘Who is Leading the Resistance?’ and a recording of the event is available here.

Tate has just opened ‘Soul Nation: Art in the Age of Black Power’, which is on until the 22nd November. It begins with 1963, at the peak of the Civil Rights movement, showing the contributions of Black artists to American Art. And on the 29th September, the Curiosity Carnival is opening its doors in Oxford.

And, finally, a piece from the Guardian about the new influx of music events into galleries and museums. Yes to museums and galleries getting loud!!

Phew. That was our whistle-stop tour of the last month. Anything we missed? Anything you’d like us to include in our next roundup? Write to us! We want to showcase awesome stuff - and it’s you out there doing it.

Track of the Month:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XZkXuP0Dl_c

Then suddenly

Like a fly in a cup of tea

I'm stirred and no longer free

To fly away

I think back to the other life

That was borrowed the other night