This Saturday, November 14 Wonder Fair Art Gallery (803 Massachusetts in Lawrence, KS) presents I Think We Are Making Progress, framed and unframed works by 25+ local artists. The opening will be held from 6-9pm with musical sets by Fortuning, ET & T and Bear Bar BBQ Club and spoken word by Artist as Wizard Aaron Storck. The show runs through December 6 with all work priced under $125 just in time for the holidays.

Lee Piechocki

Exhibition Essay by Alaska Noyes: "This title exudes optimism but with a tinge of skepticism. It offers the possibility of forward movement but with a little self-doubt. In this title there is a desire, but also an uneasiness to fully commit to the belief that we are indeed making progress. Maybe this is because progress implies linearity - a destination, a place, moment, or mindset that we can progress to. But really, where are we going, where do we want to be?

"Eric Dobbins, co-curator of this show, asked me if I would be willing to write an essay of sorts – something to get the ball rolling, to help figure out what this show was going to be. A title had not been declared yet and this seemed like a logical place to start. We batted around potential titles through email correspondence, starting off the top of our heads with no clear direction in mind. The first few titles were absolutely wrong, but as we continued to email back and forth they began to materialize into something that could work. I wrote Eric back in an encouraging tone, “I think we are making progress.” And that was it. Looking back on it I am not sure if we were in fact progressing – we had gone from Hangin' At The Park to Introducing: Tiger Baby? This, at best dubious progression and its culminating aha moment, seemed to be an accurate reflection of the art making process itself.

"Art is notoriously subjective, occupying a facet of our culture that is constantly in flux. The very definition of art continuously being pushed and pulled by internal and external forces – history, theory, economics, politics, philosophy, sociology, etc. Part of the very fabric of contemporary art is a self-reflexivity, the desire to question and deconstruct its own meaning and purpose. Artists and theorists have worked hard over the last hundred years to blow the field wide open. Anything can be art and everything has been done. We are at a point where it is very difficult to gauge anything – what is good and what is bad, what is progression what is regression.

"So we make stuff and put it out there in this vast expanse. We work off the top of our heads, from hunches and whims. We grab on to threads of art history and theory that seem to make sense to us and let them pull us along. We collect bits of pop culture, science, technology, politics and other such detritus along the way. We push this through the filter of our own personal history, quirks, fears, ethics and proclivities. And we make stuff. We take little baby-steps to… somewhere, and maybe we progress, although maybe not. It’s the journey and not the destination anyway, right?"

Maria Calderon

Participating Artists: Jason Barr, Chris Bostwick, Thayer Bray, Alicia Kelly Carr, Maria Calderon, Kelly Clark, Christa Dalien, George DeMoura, Eric Dobbins, Tim Dwyer, Barrett Emke, Danny Gibson, Amber Hansen, Andrew Huffman, Hannah Hurrle, Amy Kligman, Kenneth Kupfer, Bri Lauterbach, Justin Marable, Sammy Owen, Jess Owings, Estrella Payton, Lee Piechocki, Brock Potucek, Chris Rexroad, Clinton Ricketts, Aaron Storck, Bernadette Zacharias

Hannah Hurrle

Chris Rexroad

Danny Gibson

Brock Potucek

*If we're missing any links please let us know

posted by: Tricia Rock

The raw as an open sore, psycho-soul duo known as King Khan & BBQ Show were scheduled to play Lawrence, KS tonight, November 13 at the Jackpot Saloon (943 Massachusetts) with cute country-punkers Those Darlins and local favorites The Spook Lights. This was your chance to catch one of the most outrageous live music experiences in the known world, and on Friday the 13th no less. But alas King Khan and BBQ Show portion of the show is canceled because according to the band's booking agent Sam Hunt of the Windish Agency, King Khan and BBQ are "stuck in Christin County, Kentucky for time being" after being arrested en route to a St. Louis gig they never made. No word on what the band is being charged with as of yet. Believe us Lawrence, we're every bit as bummed you.

But it's not all bad news, because Jessi Darlins of the Those Darlins says "we're still planning on playin' the craziest fuckin' show in hopes of lifting any KKBBQ fans spirits and keepin' this badass tour on the move. We are so proud to be playing with this band and just want to keep the tour rollin.'" Also, Jessi's fiance John McCauley of Deer Tick is going to fill in till King Khan & BBQ Show can get this sorted out. Tickets for the KKBBQ-less version of the show are $7 and starts at 10pm, 18+

If you already bought a ticket, Up To Eleven will be giving out refunds at the "point of purchase."

Look for Deer Tick's new EP More Fuel For The Fire December 1 exclusively through iTunes Listen to and download some Deer Tick mp3's here

posted by: Harold Johns III

This Saturday, November 14 Be Moved Studio (2 E 7th Street in Lawrence, KS) presents Revealing Earth[Body] Transmissions, a multi-media art event that ties together visual and performance art exploring the constantly, although slowly changing earth and body processes. New visual art works by Alicia Kelly, Kelly Kearns, and Monica Gundelfinger are presented as well as a new performance piece choreographed and performed by Jenny Hoyt and Anne Bruce.

posted by: Tricia Rock

Artist Bio: "Adam grew up in the small Northern Ontario town of Atikokan, where the caribou once roamed. When Adam was growing up there, Atikokan was coated in red ore dust, and boasted two of the largest ore mines in the world. It was nestled in the heart of the Northern Ontario wilderness, isolated from the rest of the world. In 1980 the mines shut down, and it was at that point when Adam began to nurture his artistic ideas by exploring fields of endless moss, muddy swamps, thick boreal forests, and abandoned open pit mines. Adam’s work draws on the influences of science, and nature. Cinematic aspects of lighting and color influence his aesthetic approach. He often explores a narrative style within his photographs, which provides a solid base for the subject matter that is being presented. A common theme that runs through Adam’s work is the human manipulation of nature. In Adam’s most recent series, The Miniature Apiary, he is exploring the exploitation of the bees in a fictitious world he’s called the Langstroth Range".

See more of Makarenko's work here

posted by: Brent Carter

Artist Bio: "Aaron Piland and Ayumi Kajikawa Piland are the fantastical magical duo known as APAK. They are a childlike husband and wife collaborative art group who live among the fury conifer giants in a little cottage on the outskirts of Portland, Oregon. They create artwork together as a way exploring the beauty, mystery, and magic of life as well as expressing their love for life and each other.

"They are known in particular for creating rich and colorful gouache/acrylic paintings on wood featuring the utopian lives and adventures of curious little beings living in lush fantastic environments surrounded by friendly little animals, the landscapes are familiar yet surreal, hinting at a fantastic narrative while suggesting truths about the real world at the same time" (APAK).

"Woodpushers" 2008

"Call of the Wild" 2008

"Fumio Trains" 2008

To us APAK is the perfect visual escape for troubled times, like an anti-anxiety pill minus all those terrible side effects. They also apply their ridiculously cute aesthetic to postcards, note cards (some are Christmas themed), and stationary which are for sale at a fair price on their Etsy page.

See more work by APAK on their Flickr See Aaron Piland's individual portfolio here See Ayumi's individual portfolio here

posted by: Brent Carter

This Friday the 13th of November DotDotDot Artspace (1910 Haskell in Lawrence, KS) presents Concoctions, a new exhibition of radical artforms created by featured artists and Fresh Produce Art Collective contributors. The opening is from 6-10pm with live music by the iPhucks. Check out some of the artist's links below:

Whit Bones Jeromy Morris Ostaf Heller Erok Johanssen Yuri Zupancic

posted by: Tricia Rock

Taylor Swift impersonates Shakira, Fred Armisen does his best Randy Newman and Keenan Thompson dawns a dress as Jennifer Hudson to promote the soundtrack for Bunny Business. Simply hilarious!

posted by: Brent Carter

Sindri Már Sigfússon of Iceland’s Seabear has constructed a very impressive debut album under the pseudonym Sin Fang Bous. Clangor possesses an experimental folksy playfulness that makes the 23-year-old Sigfússon seem experienced beyond his years. Combined with layers of Sonic-2-for-Sega-Genesis-like laptop blips, glitches and bleeps and a slew of other instruments, the young gun has established himself as one of the front runners for indie rookie of the year.

Sigfússon's influences are numerous and a bit difficult to pin down. Clangor has the folk sensibility of Badly Drawn Boy’s The Hour of Bewilderbeast, the digital computer sucrose drone of early Múm and the bedroom/headphone introspection of Belle and Sebastian’s The Boy with the Arab Strap. Songs like “We Belong” and “The Jubilee Chorus” could be likened to Panda Bear or a Michigan-era Sufjan Stevens - folk introspection paralleled with a computer-generated wall of lush sound, a familiar concept with limitless possibilities. The finger plucking of the album's semi-title track “Clangor and Flutes” succeeds in remaining at the forefront of various dubbed vocal layers, wood winds, odd percussion and samples of what appears to be the blowing wind, keeping a sense of intrigue that could easily slip into obscure apathy.

Most of Sigfússon's transitions are seamless and the grandeur of instrumental variety give Clangor a welcoming unpredictability. Instrumentally, Sigfússon is ahead of his age. Lyrically, he comes up short. Most notably on “Lies” - “She's the sun when I'm rain/ but it was all ugly shouting again” sounds like a journal entry from My So-Called Life character Brian Krakow after a botched attempt at social interaction with Angela Chase. Often, cliché’s of failed romantic endeavors and frustrations with his surrounding environment occupy Sigfússon's lyrical efforts. Overtime though, good things will come not only from Sigfússon’s musicality but from the maturity of his lyrical experience.

by: Bene Garcia

Jeff Soto recently released this time lapse video of his piece "The Sun Rises Again," painted for the Giant Robot Biennale. Besides gaining insight into Soto's painting process you'll also see behind the scenes footage of his work space. Look for more work from Soto at the upcoming Art Basel in Miami.

posted by: Brent Carter

The best singer/songwriters, the ones who last, have always set themselves apart by an unwillingness to become static in their musical approach. Anything they find inspirational - a new genre, an obscure single, an obtuse musical philosophy - can be made their own without sounding contrived or sacrificing elements of their musical identity. On Logos, his second solo effort under the Atlas Sound name, Brandon Cox of Deerhunter has revealed himself to be just this sort of shape-shifting songwriter.

However, contrary to previous musical chameleons like David Bowie or David Byrne, Cox does not slowly change his sound from one album to the next but rather completely evolves and re-evolves between tracks on a single album. Which would make Logos seem more like a mixtape than a proper studio album if it wasn't for the emotional vulnerability Cox weaves into each song.

From the first track Logos is special. Cox begins with a slow, somber number which could be the soundtrack to a LSD-induced dream that first draws you in with a curious, droning melody and holds you captive with its swirling collage of found sounds. Cox then smoothly transitions into "An Orchid" where he scales the experimentation to reveal folky acoustic strums followed by airy yet penetrating vocals and eventually adds hazy guitar leads rooted firmly in the shoegaze style of Ride or Slowdive.

On the album's highlight "Walkabout," which features Noah "Panda Bear" Lennox of Animal Collective sharing vocal duties and a wonderfully addictive organ sample from the Dovers' 1965 track "What Am I Going to Do," Cox somehow crams the sunny disposition of a 60's garage pop song into an odd arrangement of trip hop beats and floating harmonies. Besides being an instant classic, "Walkabout" is also a glimpse into an artist capable of taking the simple and producing the sublime.

Likewise, on the equally irresistible and fellow standout "Shelia," Cox forms a cynical, gorgeous lo-fi pop ballad utilizing few repetitive chord changes, the most minimal of percussion and a well-timed shift in tempo. But what really sets "Shelia" apart, and Atlas Sound for that matter, is Cox's direct and honest lyrical work, emotionally complex in its depiction of the human experience. When Cox almost sweetly coos "...we'll die alone together " he touches on something universal, creating a feeling that could inspire, depending on your place in life, a smile, sadness or the cursing of life's absurdities. Cox manages similar lyrical feats on the raw and arresting waltz of "My Halo" and the strangely uplifting sing along "Criminals."

On "Quick Canal," Logos' second collaboration, Lætitia Sadier of Stereolab writes the lyrics and sings lead, which explains why the song sounds so much like...well, Stereolab. It starts off with a slowly emerging organ riff before the steady beat ushers in a krautrock bass riff and rising tide of guitar feedback which eventually takes control midway through the nearly nine minute track. Still, Cox is able to leave his fingerprints all over "Quick Canals," looping layered sounds and manipulated vocal accents between the doses of white noise.

Logos contains other flashes of brilliance, like the neo-psychedelic garage rock of the title track and battered version of freak folk found on "Attic Lights," but it's not a flawless record. "Washington School" never gains much momentum and relies too heavily on laptop production that may be well-done but does little to make the song memorable. Some will be bothered by Cox's voice, which is somewhat limited and often enhanced with effects, while others could find issue in the level of musicianship (or lack there of). True, these are fair criticisms but not really the point of Brandon Cox's music.

Because for Cox music is about connections - the link between a new influence and a new song, between himself and his collaborators and most importantly the bond he's dedicated to forging with his audience in the span of a three to four minute song. This is what makes Atlas Sound's Logos seem familiar in so many ways yet retain a sense of unique achievement, the next step for one of the most innovative post-millennial songwriters.

More info about Logos can be found through Kranky

by: Harold Johns III

Brooklynite Gallery (334 Malcolm X Blvd in Brooklyn, NY) presents Go Get Your Shinebox, featuring over 100 international artists and their interpretations of a shoeshine box.

Why a shoeshine box? We'll let the gallery explain:

"What does it mean for an artist to 'survive' in a tough economic climate? Can business ever be 'bad' for a diligently working artist? Making an honest living —-in a group show like no other, these artists, some legendary and some suitably hungry, will dissolve the line between utility and luxury for an exhibition entitled, Go Get Your Shinebox.

"If you’ve spent time in a 'third world country,' you’ve had a chance to see kids carrying ingeniously designed work boxes, set up for shinning shoes. We find that the variety and exuberance of these objects perfectly captures our world climate.

"With the global economic downturn and the hardship it has caused blue-collar workers throughout, we find it fitting to explore the world’s simplest way to make a living- shinning shoes. We are planning an exhibition around just that— shoeshine boxes.

"However a 'shoeshine box' should not be taken in the most literal sense of the words. These objects, our inspiration, have all been created out of necessity- a need to earn money, or further, to survive. We push 'the need to survive' beyond its literal context, commissioning our favorite established and emerging artists to design their own, 'survival boxes.'

"A shoeshine box is a medium, a framework, the boundaries of which have not been pushed …’til now."

Go Get Your Shinebox opens Saturday, November 21 from 7-10pm and will be on display through December 19, 2009.

See more preview images and a list of participating artists here

posted by: Brent Carter

From the organizers: "A Fresh Produce Art Collective Art Show (Monday, November 9 from 6-9pm) featuring local Lawrence artists on the third floor of Tellers Restaurant and Bar (746 Massachusetts in Lawrence, KS). The opening will feature a larger salon style showing to be followed by a 2 month showing of select featured works from the opening. This event is open to the public. The FPAC shows are always well attended with many diverse styles and mediums on display. Artists and public are encouraged to wear their loosely interpreted 'heist' attire."

posted by: Tricia Rock

From the organizers: "SUA's Fourth Annual Project Runway student fashion show will take place Tuesday, November 10 at 7pm in the Kansas Union Ballroom (1301 Jayhawk Blvd in Lawrence, KS). The event is based off of the hit TV show, and is a way for KU students to show their talent in the area of fashion design. Student applicants will be given a preliminary challenge from which the final contestants will be chosen. The finalists will then be given three challenges to be modeled and judged at the fashion show. This year we are bringing Korto Momolu, the Fan Favorite from season 5 of Project Runway, as one of our guest judges for the fashion show event. This event will be free to the public."

posted by: Tricia Rock

Although their first full-length album Concepts is a bit of an enigma on the first listen, mainly because deciphering the vocals is nearly impossible, Little Girls achieve a welcoming touch of goth sensibility without layers of synth or the quoting of Poe. Imagine the Goth kids from South Park hanging out on a random beach as the sun sets on an overcast day, smoking cigarettes and slowly bobbing their heads in a cutesy cryptic manner. Here you would find Concepts streaming out the jam box laden with Siouxsie and the Banshees stickers.

Along most of Concepts Little Girls flirt with a sound reminiscent of a minimalist post-rock gothy surf blend of Wavves, Placebo (think Sleeping With Ghosts' opening track “Bullet Proof Cupid), shades of Dick Dale's surf rock influence and a slower, lo-fi Interpol. “Seeing” and “Tambourine” are tracks that seem to capture Concepts’ sense of grim isolation. The tremolo heavy guitars and relentless hi-hat sixteenth notes conjure a Joy Division-y sense of demur. Ironically, this sense of what can begrudgingly be labeled as cool comes with the disclosure of dark, frustrated loneliness. Little Girls go a bit further and interject the notion with four or five pinches of…fun. “Last Call” is a haunting gothy head-bobber that expands the notion of straight-out gloom coming together with beach punk deserving of repeated listens.

Overall, at the bottom of their hearts, the most melancholic of Goth kids want to dance too. They just prefer a speed that won't interfere with the pace of their cigarette patterns. Rejoice dance hungry enthusiasts of black apparel, Little Girls have their well-crafted antidote spread all throughout Concepts. Sigh, Dance, Puff, Repeat.

by: Bene Garcia

Although you can see all of the info listed above, I will fill you in again just for fun. This Saturday, November 7 from 7- 11pm the Social Service League of Lawrence will be hosting the Friends of the League Party at Free State Glass Company (307 E 9th in Lawrence, KS). $5 entry gets you a SSL pint glass to fill with a beverage of your choice - soft drinks or Free State beer - and snacks will be provided. There will also be an art show with local artists, a silent auction from 7-9pm, and SSL tote bags and pint glasses for sale all to the soundtrack of Sadie Soul spinning records.

The Social Service League is: The Social Service League has been serving Lawrence since 1854. The League provides crucial services for anyone in need in Lawrence. These services include:

Eye glasses and exams for children Often children screened by school nurses have vision problems, but parents can not afford to send them to an eye doctor or buy them glasses. The League also works with local agencies to identify adults in need and with local optometrists to obtain discounted services.

Shoes for schoolchildren Social workers, school nurses and teachers refer children who appear in need. With a coupon from The League, kids shop at Payless Shoes and choose their favorite pair.

Clothing and bedding for the homeless The League distributes clothing for growing children, job interviews and new jobs, as well as bedding for people going off to live in housing on their own.

Help for women turning their lives around The League works with area agencies to identify women escaping abusive relationships, women who are trying to stay clean and sober, and mothers in serious financial straits. The League helps to make sure they have their basic needs met, so they can focus on their safety.

Downtown Thrift Store The League operates a thrift store at 905 Rhode Island. Come by and see what treasures you can find.

posted by: Tricia Rock