Category: Modern Art

A New Post About New Work

Posted on by Jodi Bloom

So it’s been a crazy kind of year at my fulltime graphic design gig (designfarm), which my dears is a very good thing indeed. And I say that with the utmost gratitude to the gods of fulltime work. That said, there just hasn’t been much of me left to make jewelry and So Charmed has been a somewhat neglected affair.

Then along came my birthday and a gift from the BF of a metal working class. That (the class) is really another story for another time, but suffice to say that it got the muses yammering again, forcing me to carve out time to make things and–unbelievably–to completely clean up the jewelry studio. Imagine if you will a literal explosion of tiny beads, jump rings, head pins. Every surface, every square inch. So many projects half finished! All of the good creative moves and the bad ones! Laid out to haunt me and taunt me. When this new work began steam-rollering me it was simply time to clear space… for the brain AND the hands to play.

Clearly something rather tribal going on. Beadwork, for sure. Vintage bits, check. Ribbon made from recycled ancient Indian sari’s. Fibers and lightbulbs, hard and soft, east and west. Far be it for me to sort this all out. Pictured above: Lucky Wolverine.

Seriously rusty found hardware, beads including glass pearls, sari fabric, tiny treasures. A chunky bangle: Vacant Lot in Bronzeville.


Test drove this last weekend and absolutely loved wearing it. Not as awkward as you might think. Not awkward at all, actually.

Gorgeous handmade stonewear beads by ChelleV2 on Etsy, colors aren’t being captured well here. Taxidermy and more found rusty stuff. Best piece of sari ribbon in the whole skein. Bone has been drilled and sewn. Sometimes I do weird things in the studio!

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Here’s a batch of delicate tribal earrings, including the coolest blue/green tusk from Rehoboth Beach last summer. The tea green oval rings are GLASS. As are those tiny white Victorian buttons. The flamingo colored faceted vintage beads that look like glass are plastic. These all have a certain prettiness.

Here’s another pair of earrings, tribal asymmetry and such: On the Beach includes coral and vtg African beads.

I saved the best for last, a super long necklace full of vintage Czech glass candy that was hand-linked rosary style by yours truly during several hospital visits to a family member. Lotta work, that rosary beading!

Toys included: vintage transparent blue bingo chip and little chunky red gear.

Last but not least: REVERSIBLE! Just look at that image. You know I’m in typography heaven. Speaking of which, back to my deadlines.

xoxo and go find these things in the Pirates section. If not listed, they will be soon, I promise.

Oh, and a little newsletter will be forthcoming. You can sign up here; as you know, special love is offered to my charming subscribers!

Deep Fried at The Ohio State Fair

Posted on by Jodi Bloom

First stop upon arrival at this year’s Ohio State Fair: the sheep barn. The babies were getting tucked in for the night in their pj’s, so they could rest up and not soil themselves before winning ribbons at tomorrow’s show. I love the wrinkles on this one.

But this baby gets the blue ribbon for most fabulous shape! Don’t hate me because I’m beautiful!

As referenced above. Pajamas. The farmer who raised these cuties was actually a very nice guy and came over to talk to us. He tried to explain that the whole thing was evolutionary… survival of the fittest… and that the winners at the Fair would get to live, while the others… well, you know… as he said, would end up in the freezer.

I really wasn’t sure whether this was a poster for an event where sheep rocked out at a jam session, or where they had been turned into something spreadable on toast (free samples?)… but I did not go back the next morning to find out.

Besides, there are much better things to eat at the State Fair.

Oh yes. Deep fried buckeyes… all warm and chocolatey with a heated peanut butter center, crispy on the outside and dusted with powdered sugar. All kidding aside, this is one of the MOST delicious things I’ve ever eaten. I would fly back to Ohio every summer just for a serving of these and my Rubino’s pizza. Columbus, you know what I’m talkin’ about. (PS: Rubino’s delivers… all over the world! Yes, we will!)

Nothing like the midway at night… thrill on!

So beautiful.

Above: Why your children will be in therapy. What demented soul is creating this art? I want to meet him/her.

Even more disturbing, sweet plushie bears hanging upside down beneath the glaring lights…

Terrifying. But hey, some kid in some godforsaken factory somewhere made a nickel that week sewing these!

Deep Fried Buckeyes for dinner… and for dessert?

Yes, people, it’s fer real. Sorry, I’ll have to file my report on the Deep Fried Kool-Aid next year… you didn’t honestly think I could stomach these after the buckeyes did you?

Until 2012… with love from your Fair goin’ gal. xoxo

Rattle & Hum

Posted on by Jodi Bloom

Here are two new necklaces that I will not likely ever part with but which I wanted to share anyway. Above & below: (It’s a) Material Girl!

Giant early plastic baby rattle; I don’t think it’s celluloid, likely a bit later, 1950’s or thereabouts. I’m sure I had one of these. It’s filled with the most fascinating floating magenta glitter, making it impossible to stop looking at and playing with. It’s important to teach proper values to baby girls isn’t it?

Poor mousie has turned into a Death Rattle by no choice of his own. There isn’t really anything further to say.

Except maybe that this is just so wonderfully wrong.

Cheers!

Inspiration: CDG

Posted on by Jodi Bloom

Oh these many years of longing for the wearable art of Rei Kawakubo, design genius behind the formidable Comme des Garcons.

Alas, I shall likely never be able to afford such treasures, but can, and will take inspiration.

These first images are from the discount designer website Yoox, garments currently available at astronomical sale prices.

Can you see the little ruffled holes in the above dress? Here’s a jacket where the concept is a bit clearer.

I love the amoeba-like shapes, organic openings in an otherwise highly tailored piece.

The franken-jacket-dress below is both ethereal and masculine. How does she do it with such consistency, grace, and slight humor?

Girlish androgyny; further words fail me.

And this, a simpler, more every-day sort of thing with built-in layers…  so lovely.

I believe the following pictures are from a much older collection… 2008.

The cage dress on the right is the stuff of dreams.

Girlie, masculine, feminine, butch, frills, bondage and ballet. It’s unbearable, I tell you.

Fringe, white shoes/black tights, draping, construction and flow.

<sigh>

Dream on sisters of fashion, dream on.

Zum Zum UNITE!

Posted on by Jodi Bloom

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I am not content dear readers to only be The Girl With the Most Beads… I must also be The Girl With the Most Frocks. And, to that end, I have been thrifting for 3+ decades now… constantly scoring great vintage on what can only be described as a lifelong treasure hunt. I have also experimented with designing and making clothing, but alas I am impatient, and absolutely idiotic on a sewing machine.

In fact, many years ago (2002) I attended a Smithsonian Folk Festival called The Silk Road, which included a tent where a group of women were stitching together thriftstore garments, making the most amazing things out of trash. It was terribly hot in that tent, and Molly was a wee thing in a stroller, but we hung out for awhile, and I even went back a different day on my own to watch them sew. At that time I found out that all of the machines in use for the exhibit were on loan from a store and would be offered at half price afterwards. This is how I obtained my extremely high-end Babylock embroidery machine. Which I proceeded to timidly play with but mostly lived in dire fear of for close to 10 years.

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In order to continue with this post, I must point you to the amazing world of Selene Gibbous of Gibbous Fashions. Above are three frocks from my collection, the one in the middle is a Gibbous piece. I wore this to the RimbaudMania opening in Paris and it is truly one of my most favorite and highly treasured posessions in this world.

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Pictured from the back, yes, that is a ViewMaster film wheel attached to the Gibbous dress. Selene is a beautiful mad genius, a woman of incredible talent and unparalleled vision and if you read the crafts boards, you know that she is an inspiration to artists everywhere. My collection of Gibbous garments now numbers close to a dozen, including skirts, tops, a necktie, neck ruff, and two of her amazing hats. And although the photography on Selene’s site is some of the most gorgeously styled fashion shots I’ve ever seen… pictures simply do no justice to these works of art in real life. They are museum quality… each a lovely map of stitches and tears and tatters and fabrics and objects…  pure poetry.

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The dress at far left was my first really successful experiment at slashing up an ugly vintage dress (this one was borderline)… and then adding simple embellishments with fabric scraps and a cut up men’s shirt. This one is very girly and sugary, a bit like pink grapefruit lemonade on a hot summer day.

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The tulle peeking out from the bottom was a thrifted vintage slip, and was personally paw-shredded by my cat Iggy Pop who LOVES to chew on anything tulle. He did a great job although I had to rinse out the cat spit. Ewwwwwww….

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The garment pictured at the top of this endless post, and about which the post is titled, began life per the above… IF ONLY I’d photographed it. My neighbor, Katy K, can vouch for the fact that this was indeed a thrifted bridal/prom gown, all in white polyester, and about as ugly as they come. Purchased for $9.95, minus 25% with my “I’m Unique” discount card. On Friday afternoon the entire dress hit a vat of red (top) and brown (bottom) dye, and was laid out in my sunny backyard to dry. I am always thrilled at how different fabric takes dye, it’s entirely unpredictable and scary/fun. Parts of the dress went deep red, some of it went bright orange, and the rest turned a hideous shade of peach.

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I am so sorry I didn’t shoot process photos during my obsessive stitchy weekend, but sisters let me say: the BF pronouned our dining room a sweat shop, fabric was flying, and the machine didn’t stop going from first thing Saturday morning until late Sunday night. I barely stopped to eat or go to the bathroom… although I did make a run to the sewing store for needles because I kept breaking them. Free motion quilting is truly one of the MOST fun experiences in my life as an artist. It was hard, challenging, frustrating, and amazing. There were times when I was just in a zone with it, my arms aching from pushing the fabric, a certain disbelief at the flawed beautiful mess that was developing before my eyes.

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The details are pretty endless, every inch of this dress provided a new sort of mapping and colorway experience. I loved looping the stitches and incorporating a few bits of crochet I had in my textile collection. The hardest part was the “tailoring,” as I’d made a couple of key mistakes involving the dress lining. These caused big headaches down the pike, and lessons learned (remove lining… you WILL sew it to the top layer, and you WILL NOT want to rip out all that quilting).

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The top of the dress came with kind of trashy/kind of cool glittered embroidery which, in the end, gave this garment a sort of India feel. I’m very proud of the pleated ruffle just under the bust which I made by hand from a curtain.

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On the elevator in the office building this morning, I was carrying the dress so I could photograph it when a woman got on and began staring in amazement. When I told her I’d made it, her first question was: Do you sell them? Alas, the answer is no. I couldn’t possibly part with such a thing, and I am really making these clothes for my own amusement and expression, for wearing out to parties, and well, just for the art of it.

Pompidou Centre Inside & Out, Featuring Niki de Saint Phalle

Posted on by Jodi Bloom

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Let’s go back to Paris shall we? I know I’d like to. Our rented apartment for the week was situated right between the fabulous Marais District and the Beaubourg District, making the Pompidou Centre one of our key landmarks from which we’d get lost anyway. As you know, I absolutely love gigantic modern art institutions, favorites being the Hirshhorn, MOMAnyc and MOMAsf, and the Whitney. I’m now placing this amazing museum into my top 5.

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Completed in 1977 to much controversy, the Pompidou Centre is sometimes referred to as “the inside-out building” because of the incredible exo-skeletal ducts and pipes that are boldly presented on the exterior. The size of the structure is beyond breathtaking. Suffice to say it looms large, posing an incredible modern contrast to Paris’ ancient buildings.

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Even the long escalator hangs on the outside of the building; riding it to the top floor for a spectacular view of the city was our first order of business once entering (free the first Tuesday [correction: first Sunday] of the month… a bonus!). It was like a slow, strange carnival ride.

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We spent a rainy half day all cozy inside. The view from the top floor includes the Eiffel Tower, that fuzzy structure to the left in the above photo.

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David (“the BF” to you) and Molly in one of the escalator tunnels.

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Must photograph cool typography when travelling.

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An exhibit of women artists was on display that day.

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Niki de Saint Phalle–a recent obsession/inspiration of mine–was included. This French-born, American-raised society girl was an artist and fashion model, at 16 gracing the cover of Vogue magazine.

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Her work is also on view nearby in the wonderfully playful Stravinsky Fountain (above), alongside co-conspirateur and husband Jean Tinguely‘s kinetic sculpture.

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But it is de Saint Phalle’s early shooting paintings that really interest me most. Niki was known to openly reject the staid, conservative values of her family, which dictated domestic positions for wives and particular rules of conduct. However, after marrying young and giving birth to two children, she found herself living the same bourgeois lifestyle that she had attempted to reject; the internal conflict causing her to suffer a nervous breakdown. As a form of therapy, she was urged to pursue her painting. The shooting paintings were created by filling polythene bags with paint and enclosing them within layers of plaster against a blockboard backing. Spectators–including Robert Rauschenberg and Jasper Johns at one point–were invited to shoot at these constructions, releasing the paint. The moment of action and an emphasis on chance were as important as the finished work. De Saint Phalle stopped making these works in 1963, explaining ‘I had become addicted to shooting, like one becomes addicted to a drug‘.

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The series of badges above, listing next week in the Debutantes section on So Charmed as well as in the Etsy shop, took close to 2 months to design and complete. Many many things were tried before I settled on the above materials and construction. Each image of de Saint Phalle–from tiara-sporting princess, to cover girl, to shooter, and finally looking eccetric and mature–is surrounded by lush velvet pleating. Shotgun bullet charms dangle from each pin.

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Bang bang modern art, dears.

RimbaudMania

Posted on by Jodi Bloom

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The first of several posts about my trip to Paris must be about the exhibition pictured above. Opening on May 6, at Galerie des Bibliothèques, Bibliothèque Historique de la Ville de Paris, 22 rue Mahler, 75004 Paris and running through August 1 when it will move to the Rimbaud Museum in Charleville, this event was the impetus for our travel. Thrilling does not begin to describe the feeling of being there for the opening, and experiencing the show.

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Beautiful typography in neon orange and acid green, and an installation on the gallery walls, pictured above, welcomed visitors into the museum.

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And, in the very first room, my two pieces of jewelry drew attendees to their glass cabinet. The lighting was too dramatic for my digital camera, so I picture the pieces in the 320-page exhibition catalog/book.

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It’s a gorgeous book (in French) and as soon as I have a link for purchasing I’ll share it with you dear readers.

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Many of you are familiar with the Poet Rosary necklace that curator Claude Jeancolas originally purchased for the exhibit; this piece has been an integral part of the So Charmed Poets Collection for a long time now. When Mssr. Jeancolas informed me about the piece’s inclusion in RimbaudMania as well as his 18th published book on the subject of the iconic poet, I decided to make him a small gift, hoping he might wear it on his jacket to the opening. This was included in the show instead. Pictured above, the piece was crafted from a vintage pin finding and includes a vintage pen nib inscribed with the words Made in France. A limited number of these will be available at So Charmed soon. Although Claude was being followed around by the press and many admirers the evening of the opening, he made time to speak with myself, David, and Molly, remarking how the Internet had brought us together and how poetic that was!

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This fun crossstitch/embroidery hung above my jewelry case. Other cultural items in the room described as Objects Fetiches included furniture, clothing, stamps, plates, even an I Heart Rimbaud coffee mug.

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Much of the exhibit was organized by medium, the second room being music and film. Patti Smith figured prominently, along with the Clash, and the poster from the Leonardo DiCaprio film, Total Eclipse. If memory serves me, it was via Patti Smith that I first discovered Rimbaud, when I was in college studying art. He was a hero, icon, and muse to many musicians and artists in the burgeoning punk/new wave scene. A novel, Godlike by punk poet/musician Richard Hell was also included in the exhibit.

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There were a lot of photographs included, my favorite being the series by Robert Mapplethorpe illustrating A Season in Hell.

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One room contained works of fine art from the Rimbaud Museum, including the piece above by Picasso. There were also lovely ink drawings by Jean Cocteau, Fernand Leger, Alberto Giacometti and Jim Dine among others.

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Graphic design was well-represented with dozens and dozens of book covers, including the illustrated calligraphic piece above by Leger, one of my favorites in the exhibit.

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The most touching room in the show held encased original manuscripts by the poet; seeing these handwritten documents up close was intimate and breathtaking and made us sorely wish we could read French. Speaking of which, I plan to be in touch with Mssr. Jeancolas regarding an English-language version of the exhibit and book for possible travel to the USA. I’ve thought of The Library of Congress, The Smithsonian Institution, and the French Embassy as possible venues. All of these, naturally, here in Washington DC! A great idea, n’est pas?

And, with that sentiment, I’ll leave you with a poem by Arthur Rimbaud and bid you adieu, for now.

A DREAM FOR WINTER

In the winter, we shall travel in a little pink railway carriage
With blue cushions.
We shall be comfortable. A nest of mad kisses lies in wait
In each soft corner.

You will close your eyes, so as not to see, through the glass,
The evening shadows pulling faces.
Those snarling monsters, a population
Of black devils and black wolves.

Then you’ll feel your cheek scratched…
A little kiss, like a crazy spider,
Will run round your neck…

And you’ll say to me : “Find it !” bending your head
– And we’ll take a long time to find that creature
– Which travels a lot…


Button Button

Posted on by Jodi Bloom

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Who’s got the button? Well… I know, but I’m not telling. Suffice to say that over the weekend I was granted entrance to the inner sanctum of one of the most prominent and experienced importers of Czech bohemian glass buttons in the USA. Folks, I’m not a religious woman, but I thought I had died and awoken in heaven. When my kind and generous host invited me to open any of the dozens and dozens of drawers and boxes in the collection room, I had to pinch myself to make sure I wasn’t having one of my recurring thrifting/collecting/hunting/gathering dreams.

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The photo above captures the full haul of the day, which would have been 10x that amount had I not been on a pauper’s budget. Along with the buttons is a delicious 1/2 pound bag of glass beads in an incredible and irresistible palette. My plan is to craft one or two super duper long rosary beaded necklaces out of these. A good busy-hands activity while watching my new favorite shows (RuPaul’s Drag Race, Pawn Stars, etc.).

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The Czech Republic has a long history of some of the finest glass work in the world, dating back to the Renaissance. Vintage beads and buttons are very collectible and currently commanding ultra high prices. Each button was/is handcrafted, including painting on the fronts or reverse painting, as shown above.

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Today, some of the antique molds are being used again, and new techniques are adding to the amazing beauty of these miniature works of art.

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Colors and styles range from baroque, to psychedelic, to mid-century modern with abstraction and patterns, as well as cats, dogs, magic mushroom men, puddings, fleur de lys, fairytales and rhinestone embellishments. I am deeply fond of some of the new figurals including the cicadas and moths (bats?). The white swan on pink glass with blue water could be my number one favorite. It’s an older button and getting difficult to come by.

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Using the glass buttons in jewelry-making is a challenge; most  have glass self-shanks that can not be removed without damaging the piece. I’ve seen people wrap fancy brass filigrees around the buttons but I find that to be visually noisy and distracting. So I’m working with my own techniques of incorporating these into my work… as a good friend says, a big part of jewelry-making (especially assemblage without formal “smithing”) is the solving of engineering problems.

American Pickers: The Jodi Episode

Posted on by Jodi Bloom

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I guess I’ve been a picker all my life. It started back at RISD with my first sojourn to a Salvation Army store and I’ve been addicted to thrifting ever since. The 70’s were a real heyday for this passion, especially for vintage fashionistas. Back then an intricately beaded 1950’s cashmere sweater could be had for a quarter, a 1930’s gown for a few bucks. Good luck even finding such garments today!

But before we get too cranky about the good ‘ole days of thrifting, we also need to consider that thanks to the Internet good thrifting or picking is now a global occupation. With Web sites like Ebay and Etsy, one is no longer confined to the trash in one’s own backyard. And that’s really where this story begins.

Couple of months ago, I purchased a “found object” on Etsy to incorporate into a piece of jewelry, paying an exorbitant $7.50 for a single item that looked like an old bicycle reflector (Seriously, I consider that to be a lot of money). That said, when it arrived, I immediately fell in love with this gigantic plastic “ruby” that seemed to be set in either bakelite or celluloid (early plastics, pretty collectible stuff). And so, the “Travelite” joined the other piles of crap-I-mean-treasure in my studio, awaiting inspiration. And, because I loved it so much I knew I’d be reluctant to sell it, so I started casually searching for another online, not even knowing what the darn thing was/is.

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Meanwhile, over the past weekend I finally decided to just thread a nice piece of vintage punk-plaid ribbon through the handy slots on the back, and when I put it around my neck, I knew it was going nowhere; this baby was mine! It is just so super cool. But I decided to search again, and found the listing pictured above on Ebay. Imagine my surprise at the $725 price tag.

After picking myself up off the floor, I wrote to the seller to inquire about the history and provenance of this item. He really had no further information for me except to say that it is an extremely rare collectible item and will fetch anywhere from $750 – $1000, essentially making this mysterious object (aside from my first-marriage engagement ring) my most valuable piece of jewelry!

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Should you decide to purchase the ebay listing here’s your link. I still don’t really know a thing about this lovely item, the intended functionality, etc. Was it an advertising premium? Why would you need a personal reflector “Travelite?” Anyone out there with more info, please email! And for other very fun found-object jewelry (when I can stand to part with it) please visit So Charmed.

Podcast Heavn’: EMERGENCY PANTS, or Top 5 Reasons I Love Bridget & Shane

Posted on by Jodi Bloom

So with the gift of this amazing iTouch for Chanukah last year, I’ve finally come around to the world of Podcasts. Until last week, my favorite was The Moth, brilliant live storytelling that has made me both laugh and cry (mostly laugh), and is a must-listen. Recent Moth faves: Michaela Murphy on her family’s obsession with spying on the Kennedys, and Jerry Stahl on heroin vs. crack. Free on iTunes and not for kids.

I still love The Moth, but am now podstalking a crazy couple of midwestern kids–Bridget and Shane–from Omaha, Nebraska, the young geniuses behind Emergency Pants (also not for kids). How I connected with this far-more-obscure content was through the snarky embroidering community on Flickr. I’ve been posting some of my weird projects (above) and Bridget also posts her cool stuff there (below).

Anyway, what IS Emergency Pants? Two friends. Talking. Laughing. Gossiping. In-jokes and out-jokes. The kind of podcast that generally makes me bored, impatient and annoyed. Not this one. Here are the top 5 reasons (out of too many to list) that I love these guys and you might too:

1. THE FRIENDSHIP: If I’ve got this right, Shane & Bridget have known each other for.ev.ah. Like 15-17 years or so. Their enduring/endearing friendship provides this sweet and easy communication that flows like a giggly river. Maybe you had a friendship like this many moons ago. Maybe not. If you did, you probably don’t anymore because you grew up and got serious, moved away, joined a corporate cult, or just somehow stopped finding life funny. Here’s your chance to plug in again.

2. THE CONTENT: Like Seinfeld for the next gen, this is a show about nothing. Nothing, as is observed by two very funny people, whose often dark and/or ironic/and or self-deprecating/and or juvenile/and or sweet sense of humor is just my cuppa tea. Sometimes potty humor (the pooplosion, illustrated above), often hilarious workplace stories (including, somehow, horse semen), a meatloaf cookoff. You will laugh in spite of your jaded self, and if you don’t, well, you are a hopeless human being. And, of course, it’s not really about nothing, but you knew that, didn’t you, smarty (emergency) pants?

3. BRIDGET’S LAUGH: Some people have the MOST horrendous hyena laughs, other guffaws are regular and mundane. Bridget has an unrestrained musical giggle, a laugh that could be bottled and sold for its healing properties, but that she so generously chooses to give away, people, free of charge, each weekly episode. Ten seconds in or less, and there’s the laugh, genuine, warm, and more infectious (and fun) than swine flu.

4. SHANE (+ THE ACCENTS): Shane is a funny funny dude. Geeky, smart and the boyish yang to Bridget’s girly yin. Like a really cool IT guy that you’d actually want to be friends with. (Wait, he IS an IT guy!) And, did I mention Omaha? Well, with my admittedly idiotic sense of geography I actually had to google a map of the US to see exactly where Nebraska is situated in this great land of ours. Because if it’s west of Illinois, other than California, it’s something of a blur to me (sorry! really, I’m sorry!). Both hosts have those flat, broad sort of midwestern voices with just a twinge of Fargo… like the comfort food of regional accents.

5. THE MUSIC: Three words: Men without Pants. Yes… WITHOUT pants and featuring Russell Simins and Dan the Automator. Why Russell and Dan don’t have emergency pants is not for me to say. But anyway, a snippet of their rockin’ tune, When the Girls Go, opens and closes the show. Searing, trashy, silly and ass-kicking.

6. THE COMMUNITY (sorry, can’t keep it to 5): When you become a fan/stalker of the show, you will find other like-minded silly souls. One of them, Jamie (ie, Mr. Xstitch), a manbroiderer from the UK, runs a blog that showcases the best and the brightest alterna-stitchers the world over. (Above image from Jamie’s flickr photostream, courtesy of Stitch Out Loud). There’s also partner-in-crime and oft-guest, Tony (if that’s his real name) who drags the kids a wee bit further into the gutter with his hyperactive, campy, and biting humor. Finally, the E-Pants blog will provide you with links to additional content that the kids know you need, threatening to basically hijack your life (as it obviously has mine).

So yeah, check it! And remember: When life gives you lemons, you put on your Emergency Pants.

Wasabi !

Posted on by Jodi Bloom

Not only do I sell my jewelry on Etsy these days, I’m also a rabid Etsy buyer… from independent fashion (dresses! corsetry!), to vintage collectibles, to handcrafted dolls… too much of my hard-earned pay (of which lately there is simply too little for this sort of nonsense) goes toward my obsession with other artist’s obsessions. Call me a patron ok? It sounds better than shopaholic.

When I came across WasabiEstudio, chock full of zombies and a sprinkling of mad fun pop culture icons like Mr. T and Amy Winehouse, I became instantly smitten. Imagining the owners to be two Japanese kids living in California (it said Valencia, ok? Isn’t there a Valencia, CA? Nevermind), I started writing and gushing and trying to decide just what to order. With no money to spend, the problem was not whether to buy, but who (or is that whom?). There were at least 6 dolls that I needed.

Initially I was going to just purchase Amy and Sid Vicious, both pictured in their shop… and soooo brilliantly, hilariously done. But then I got to thinking. And obsessing. And further obsessing. Finally, when my tax refund check arrived, it was time, and I asked the Wasabi Kids to make Sid, Kurt Cobain and Russell Brand… the heck with Amy, it’s all boys, all the time. Wasabi dubbed them my party boys and promised they’d be home soon to play. 🙂

Imagine my surprise when a lovely box arrived from SPAIN (!) and inside were all of my special party boys, but also Amy, as a gift for me!! How incredibly sweet! As I marveled over the crazy/perfect details of each doll (tattoos, jewelry, amazingly realistic hairstyles, and most especially Sid’s x-rated famous cowboy t-shirt)… I realized I was truly in the presence of genius.

Yet somehow, it gets even better. After the dolls arrived I wrote to thank the Wasabi Kids (even after a round of emails back and forth I didn’t know their names)… and Neus sent me the photo pictured above of she and her husband Manuel. Could they be any more beautiful? What an amazing photo. I love these people!

So, it is with gratitude and warmth that I share my new friends and their amazing handcrafted dolls with you… please support independent artists and get over to WasabiEstudio NOW to see what they’ve got going on, or to request your favorite pop culture icon. Heck, they’ll even do a doll of YOU!!! xoxoxoxo

Stuff I Love that Other People Made

Posted on by Jodi Bloom

It had to happen. My daughter Molly and her BFF Corrie are now making–AND SELLING–jewelry. And I’m here to tell you, their stuff really rocks. I’m one of their bestest customers, and I am, as you know, a highly discerning jewelry-maven. What’s lovely about their work is that they very smartly operate within their abilities… while pushing themselves a bit to learn techniques, using available materials (much of it from their YMCA Afterschool program) and with their not-quite-grown-up girlish sensibilities… it makes for some very cool stuff. My favorites are a pair of assymmetrical earrings that use GLOW IN THE DARK glass beads, and, pictured above, the shell necklace. Sooooo lovely, so simple. Great concept, great colors, great materials (love the sea-green frayed ribbon). As I told Molls, when I wear it, it reminds me of our wonderful beach holidays. Love ya honey!!

Everyone who knows me knows I’m trying to grow my thick super-duper curly hair to never-before-reached lengths of Renaissance Jewess Goddess nirvana… (Why? I don’t know. B/C it’s a huge-mongous pain in the butt and takes like 4 hours to air dry). So, long story short, I buy a lot of hair crap. Products? Oh, yes indeed. I’ll try anything that comes along, esp. if marketed for curls. Barettes, clips and combs? HECK YEAH! The one above was scored on Etsy and it really is just so clever and adorable, made from the upcycled middle of a 45 rpm Motown record. I love it!! And, look for some new hair baubles coming in January at So Charmed.

And, arent’t these the sweetest things?? Two little handcrafted felt pins, made as a gift to me by Teresa, a dear client in Barcelona. Teresa asked which animals I’d like so I told her about Bernie and Maxi, (the Dachshunds) and Iggy and Angelo (the Tabbies) and voila! These adorable critters traveled ’round the world and came home to me. What a delightful gift. Teresa hopes to get her own shop up and running on the Internet, I’ll let you know as soon as she does.

Remember, buy handmade for the Holidays… there’s so much crafty goodness out there it’s just incredible. Your recipients will love the gifts and you’ll be supporting an entrepreneurial artist.

Circus

Posted on by Jodi Bloom

I’m just so obsessed with the circus lately, it’s bordering on (or has become) a weird sickness in its own right. I am old enough to have been to many many circus’s and carnivals as a young child. Suffice to say, I found almost nothing to enjoy, and everything to fear and loathe. Some say I was a “sensitive” child. Ok, yeah… well, that’s true in retrospect. 40+ years later, I find these paralyzing nightmares to be worth revisiting as content for art. And so we have a family of performing bears (grouping of pins).

Scary ladies in exotic costumes and requisite evil clowns (series of badges/necklaces).

Sideshow freaks: half something, half something else (series of pins).

First, I love finding the materials, many of them vintage and handcrafted, and sometimes collected and catalogued over several years before coming together into a final product. Also I enjoy the image-making as much as the jewelry-making; I studied photograhpy in school and at one time had designs on practicing photography as a fine art fulltime. Taking pictures remains a deep passion.

I am frankly unsure if these items will ever find audience but you know, I am not really thinking about that so much in this particular series. There are places in my creative life where the client matters most of all, and a few where it is all about a certain perfection of expression, more purely so.

Bijoux

Posted on by Jodi Bloom

Having one’s work curated for inclusion in a high-end European art jewelry book is really an incredible experience.

Since the person who contacted me initially was located in Barcelona, I was surprised when the book arrived in French. As you know, I do have a fake French lady alter-ego (Mme. Eclore), but this does NOT mean I am able to read what the text says about me. Still, there is much to get out of simply looking at the pictures, which go back and forth from artist’s sketches to finished pieces.

With jewelry, as in other arts, sometimes that which is critically acclaimed is a “box-office” disaster. The piece selected from my submissions was Soul Pirate, pictured above. It resides in the private collection of the artist, which is where some things land that don’t sell but are personal favorites. I designed the piece and had the supah heavy sterling centerpiece made up by a ghetto fabulous bling outfit in Los Angeles. I wear this piece a lot and my BF threatens to steal the phrase for a song. Mistakenly, I thought these would sell like hotcakes… but alas, the ridiculous cost of sterling, plus the fabrication outsourcing, priced this baby right out of the market.

My favorite spread in the book is pictured above. With over 600 pages (and a cute small format that makes the thing suitable as a door-stop or shot-put, there really is a ton of great work on view. I was honored (also mystified not to mention humbled) to be included with some real luminaries in the field.

Bijoux: Illustration et Design is published by maomao publications, a house publishes loads of really gorgeous art, design, and fashion books, and I’m in touch with them to find out just where you might purchase a copy.

Great Design for a Great Band

Posted on by Jodi Bloom

The only thing better than a night of hard-hitting rock ‘n roll (lead, no less by one of DC’s original punk rockers and Molly’s dad, Glenn Kowalski, aka Jake Whipp) is being invited to the show by way of a kick-ass email flyer, designed by the ultra talented Beth Clawson. Check out 7 Door Sedan’s “glam psychedelic soul thing” TOMORROW NIGHT at DC’s hip H Street spot, The Red and the Black (details above).

To receive Beth’s cool invites in your email inbox, sign up at the band’s Web site. Visit their myspace page to hear their groovin’ sound.

The Quarry House Tavern (beers. burgers. basement.) not only claims to be “Silver Spring’s favorite dive for over 70 years” but is lately threatening to actually put the revitalized downtown ‘hood on the DC Area’s musical map. I highly recommend this underground pub where new owner Jackie is booking great local bands, serving up such treats as fried pickles, and where you’ll find an unparalleled exotic beer menu.

Another spot where The Sedan + friends have been making the scene is Baltimore’s Sidebar Tavern, where punk shows rule the night, and John Waters has been known to stop by. A fun place that pretty much defines hole-in-the-wall.

Q: Where do you buy these fabulous beads?

Posted on by Jodi Bloom

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A: None of your beeswax.

Ok, sorry… but really! I get asked this question so often it makes me wanna cry. But I think the truth is that noone can imagine the obsessiveness of my collecting, and thus, in asking such a question, the questioner can’t possibly know how ridiculous the query is.

Case in point: Pictured above is a pile ‘o beads I scored last night at Molly’s YMCA Aftercare Crafts Expo and Bake Sale. Yes, folks, there amongst the handsewn foam wallets, the CostCo cookies (SO cleverly marketed in zip lock bags to look homebaked, but I was NOT fooled!), and the genuinely homebaked cupcakes (expertly decorated by my daughter and long gone without so much as a blog photo snapped), were these lovely beaded necklaces. I do feel dreadfully sorry that I’m going to disassemble them to make jewelry. : / Sorry kids. Cost: 6 bucks.

Q: Where do you get all of that funky ironic “art” that decorates the walls of your home?

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A: Just kidding.

Generally speaking, no one (except my poor boyfriend) dares to inquire about the weird, tasteless, mostly thriftstore, crap that poses as art in my “eclectic” home. But, in case you are not asking b/c you are embarrassed, but would actually like to know where these coveted items originate, here is an example: Yes, it’s another YMCA Aftercare Crafts Expo and Bake Sale score, a hand magic-markered, velvet flocked (!!) Unicorn. With stars! Glitter! A rainbow! Maybe you don’t love this as much as I do, probably not in fact. Yet later you will  eye it enviously, I know you will! I was so glad no one else’s mom snagged this beauty before I arrived on the scene with my shopping karma in tact. Cost: $1.50. Bet ya I could turn it around for $10 bucks on ETSY. But I’m not gonna, it’s mine mine mine suckers. Seriously, I love this thing.

PS: I love a post that fits ALL my categories!

i heart this band

Posted on by Jodi Bloom

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I am WAAAAAY too old to stay up for Letterman, Conan, &tc. but I am NOT way too old to have a serious need to know exactly what is happening with today’s young rock geniuses. So, with many thanks to friend Aaron Karsh and his diy BANDS ON LATE dvd’s, I was able to catch a performance of Ghostland Observatory, a pair of Austin TX dudes (one of whom seems to have a penchant for wearing metallic silver capes, but we all made bad fashion decisions in our youth didn’t we?) who have revived synth-pop with a vengeance. Unlike the ultra clean, sorta precious synth masters of the past (to whom this music does pay homage), these guys rock so hard, with an energy that is barely containable (think: a synthetic Clash), even in the recorded format, let alone live. Prolific youngsters, they’ve released 3 CDs out in less than 2 years. I only have Paparazzi Lightening, which is over-the-top excellent, but I’ll be downloading the rest… yes I will.

Haven’t been this excited by a music duo since my beloved White Stripes! How is Meg doing? Does anyone know? I hope she is feeling better!

Customized!

Posted on by Jodi Bloom

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One of the products central to the vast empire (!) that is So Charmed, is the custom charm bracelet. I’ve literally done hundreds of these and each and every time I am thoroughly blown away by the infinite design possibilities this little medium offers me. And, more importantly I am completely and profoundly moved by the people who come to me for these treasures… more often than not they are the most fascinating and creative individuals I’ve ever “met.” Somehow, despite the fact that all of our communications are via email, and I often don’t even see a photo of the customer herself, I am drawn into the intimate details of her life, dreams, and memories. And the results are probably the most beautiful and meaningful jewelry work I will ever do. I’m not tootin’ my own horn here, I feel strongly that the bracelets truly belong to their owners in every sense of the word. It is their openness and partnership that provides the content, palette and wonderful uniqueness of these works.

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Joan, a self-proclaimed late-bloomer (me too!) shared an amazing story that included everything from James Ellroy, the Black Dahlia, vintage 40’s make-up packaging, noir Los Angeles… and too many lush things to mention here. In the detail above a sterling silver train sits next to a vintage black button I scored on a trip to the East Village… combing through an old sewing notions store the size of a tiny closet. It had just the right late 40’s feel and is an example of my life colliding with my client’s during this process.

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Literature, the letter J, and a very rare vintage lantern-esque bead hold court next to a sterling silver vintage radio and dahlia charms. Joan and I agreed to mix metals (brass, gold and silver)… something that can be tricky, but when done properly is gorgeous!
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The murder weapon, glass beads from my collection (tens of thousands stored in color-coded fishing tackle boxes), and a hand-painted tiny tube of red lipstick! Joan is a redhead and we decided upon small touches of red for some pop against the noir blacks and lavenders. Also pictured, a wonderful early plastic black floral cabochon that I made into a charm.

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Amazing and rare bell flower charm and a vintage earring part that had a perfect deco feel and a lovely citrine stone. Sterling silver camera so Joan can continue to capture her life in pictures!

Many special thanks to Joan for the amazing partnership and for allowing me to blog about her bracelet. For more information on a custom heirloom bracelet of your own, check the custom page at So Charmed, and then get in touch.

2008? Bring it on!

Posted on by Jodi Bloom

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If you read this blog, then you know how proud I am of the non-Martha Stewart, totally punk rock crafts that take place at our house from time to time. Pictured above, the latest entry in this sparkling collection of images: Mom & Molly’s fantastical gingerbread house (please note the mini-marshmallow chimney… that was MY idea).

I didn’t want to go the elementary school evening Gingerbread Village event… oh no I didn’t. Look, my day starts at 6:30 a.m., and by 7pm the last place I want to be is in the school cafeteria, sweltering through a hot flash and participating in a vaguely religious–or at the very least goyishe–ritual (I’m sorry. The Bloom household may have had latkes at this time of year. We may have played dreidel. Ok, once or twice or several dozen times we even may have had our stockings stuffed by the fat guy in the red suit. We NEVER, and I mean NEVER had gingerbread houses) that Molly promises is going to be a total blast.

I traded her: Finish your homework AND practice violin AND eat your dinner including vegetables, and we’ll go. Suffice to say, you’ve never seen a 10-year old so… inspired… by homework, violin and vegetables.
So, by 7:30pm–a half hour late–we were on our way down the cold dark hill to the elementary school and I’m feeling sorry about the deal… who cares about homework, violin and vegetables anyway? Inside the warmly lit school, it was, well, warm. Too warm (instant hot flash). And there was madness… total gingerbread house insanity. Kids and parents were crammed tightly at the long tables, scrambling and bickering over the best supplies, slathering great globs of icing over cardboard boxes of every possible size and shape, using more globs of icing to glue on candy, fruit loops, pretzels, and other crap. I was NOT impressed. Not even a little. But we shed our jackets, squeezed ourselves into a table, grabbed a yellow styrafoam tray and started slathering.

It was only moments before my competitive spirit kicked in. Molly and I were going to make the BESTEST damn gingerbread house a couple of secular humanist atheist Jews (poor kid. And yes, she knows what that means) EVER made. So I started chasing down the PTA moms who were handing out the supplies, scoring a much-coveted can of chocolate icing. I will even admit to talking a couple of slightly terrified kids (the look on my face!) out of handfuls of precious GREEN fruit loops with which to complete our landscaping. I became thoroughly ruthless and scruples-free; it was not pretty.
Results pictured above.

And by the way, when the village was assembled up on the cafeteria stage… dozens and dozens of buildings, some of which were extremely… umm… “imaginative,” there was indeed one church complete with steeple, cross, etc.. ok, whatever. I didn’t see anything you’d recognize as a synagogue, let alone a mosque… but there were some very cool factories, devalued townhouse developments, forts with moats and major-league weaponry made out of licorice whips, towering crazy wacky fabulous constructions that could have easily doubled as Whoville. Really, it was one of the most gorgeous messes I’ve ever seen.
Bah humbug. It was loads of fun.

Wishing all of you a seriously Happy Hols, and thanking you for your love, support and friendship in 2007.

2008? BRING IT ON!

Welcome to Jodi’s World of Imperfect Food

Posted on by Jodi Bloom

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I think there are plenty enough blogs out there showing off the glorious creations of all the would-be Marthas in the DIY crafts/cooking world, don’t you? I know that you do! And for that reason, my friends, I welcome you to my world of poorly prepared, often neglected, but lovingly presented (note the wedding china, did I rock that settlement or what?!) inedibles.

Above (and below, because one picture isn’t enough) please find photos of what happened to my “toasted” bagel breakfast on Saturday morning while I “popped downstairs” for just “wee little” shopping on Etsy. OOPs! And, doesn’t macro RULE?! You can almost smell the blackened charcoal-toasted sesame seeds.

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Have you heard enough about my 5oth birthday yet? I didn’t think so. So, last week, my buds Brad & Amy surprised me at my office with a birthday cake! Amy had suggested stopping by Whole Foods to pick up something organic and pretty and fancy (and expensive), but Brad told her about my absolute favorite of all cakes, the chain-grocery-store-bakery white cake with white icing + endless gobs of pink swirly frosting, roses, etc. Complete with a candle per decade and nevermind that the whole affair got a bit lopsided and smooshed on the subway on the way up here… it was DELISH!

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And, doesn’t macro RULE?! If you look closely below, just north and east of the flattened rose, you can see little droplets of cake-sweat! Mmmmm, mmm, mm.

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Shut Up!

Posted on by Jodi Bloom

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A month or two ago, I was invited by hipstress editor-in-chief Sahar Vahidi to send a bunch of So Charmed jewels up to NYC for a photo shoot to appear in her super cool magazine, Shut Up! What could be more fun? Off the jewelry went, and here are some of the delicious pix. Next issue of the magazine is due out any minute, both online and in print, so keep an eye on their site. Photos by Samuel Tran.

Above, glam girl Caitlin wears Glory Ascending choker from the Rockstars Collection. Cutie-pie Caroline, below, wears Yes No Maybe So necklace from the Innocents Collection and sweetheart Liz wears signature sterling silver hip-hop necklace You Will Be Mine from the Pirates Collection.
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Sweet, Sweet, NYC

Posted on by Jodi Bloom

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I met Susie Stern (below left) and Amy Schildhouse Greenberg (below center) 40 years ago when I was nine and moved to Columbus Ohio. From 4th grade through high school graduation, and now that we are grown-ups with fourth-graders of our own… we’ve had adventures unlimited, apart and together. A more creative gang of girls you’ll never meet; Susie designs handbags for her company Cowbunnies, Amy is a fiction writer and translator, and well, you know me. To celebrate turning 50 this year, we convened from DC, Columbus, and Atlanta at the fabulously funky, cheap and chic Chelsea Star Hotel in NYC for a weekend of shopping, art, trading wrinkle cream secrets, and our special brand of merriment which, suffice to say, words can not capture. As always, I heart NY… and this trip was extra special indeed.

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Happy Birthday to us!

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Amy and her new boyfriend (sorry Josh), Mr. Kaufman, of Kaufman’s Furs. We just wandered into this famous spot for the sheer fun of it and ended up spending an hour touring the back rooms and factory and pretending we were hip-hop divas. Note to Josh: Amy looked TERRIF in that coat. Note to Clark: One word–Balenciaga.

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This is my idea of a good use of fur (if there is such a thing), Marcel Duchamp’s Meret Oppenheim’s (boy is my surrealist face red, and thanks Arlene!) enduring sculpture at MoMA.

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Jackson, oh Jackson, how I love thee. I spent awhile in the Pollock room at MoMA.

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Looking at the sky and thinking of Molly.

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The goddess of self-portraiture, Cindy Sherman at MoMA.

My Office Door, by Jodi Bloom, Boss Lady

Posted on by Jodi Bloom

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I think you can probably tell a lot about a person by what is taped up on their office door, cubicle, etc. And because I want you to know everything about me, I have lovingly photographed the objects that grace my door… which as my employees will tell you, is open most all of the time.

Above is an early work of art by daughter, Molly. As all moms and dads do, I collect my kid’s artwork. And as a woman with “difficult-I-mean-fabulous” hair, I am drawn to Hair Goddess images. I love this collage… it’s visually gorgeous, the colors are great… I love the brown paper skin against the fluorescents and metallics, and I think this is a smashing hairdo. Does anyone know a good colorist?

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But there are also scary things on my door, like this image, courtesy of my dear staff who are always looking out for my interests with regard to finding Mr. Right. The post-it asks: Jodi, wanna go on a date with me? There are check boxes for Yes and No. As you can see, I have not decided and still need a little time to think about it.
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I love this portrait of me by Molly. The likeness is uncanny and it lets everyone know that this is the Queen’s office.

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designfarm proudly accepts Visa and MasterCard for your shopping convenience.

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I saved the best for last. This very scientific document depicts an invention by Molly: The Chicken Powered Skateboard. Is my kid a genius or WHAT??!! BTW, the chicken’s name is Elvis (with a creative spelling) and if you look closely you will see that he sports quite a fabulous pompador hairstyle.

Maybe Elvis Chicken would like to meet Sylvia! (see January.) Maybe Molly is going to be a hairstylist? Maybe Jodi needs some more mature office decor. Nah.

Steal These Valentines

Posted on by Jodi Bloom

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Are you racing around like a lunatic looking for something unique to bestow upon your sweetie tomorrow? Well, it’s too late for gorgeous handmade jewelry from So Charmed (there’s always next year though!), but have you considered your local Trader Joe’s grocery store? No? What’s wrong with you?

After ignoring TJ’s for over a year I returned last weekend and was pleasantly surprised to find vast improvements in their offerings… the produce was WAY better and the gourmet prepared foods were fabulous, creative (eggplant parmesan with filo dough!) and will keep me happliy microwaving for the whole week. But what really hooked me were the unusual and remakably well-priced exotic treats that TJ’s is famous for, such as edible, sort of candied, dried Hibiscus flowers (shown above and below) which have a delicate cranberryish flavor that is truthfully nowhere near as exciting as the visuals… they seriously look like weird aliens. Even run of the mill strawberries were spectacular visually (lots of leafiness and some stems!) and produced a pop of crispy tart-juicy flavor when I finally finished photographing them and served them up for breakfast.

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Molly and I have been late to school two mornings running now due to my “need” to photograph foods purchased last weekend at TJ’s. The least I could do was share, right? So, if you don’t have time to pick some up, or you are one of those poor unfortunates that doesn’t have TJ’s, Whole Foods, and an actual old-school Food Co-op fiercely competing for your food dollars, yank these photographic valentines off the blog and pass them on. But you better at least show up with chocolate in person… and I KNOW you have a drugstore nearby so get going, it’s slim pickin’s out there at this point.
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The Naked Brothers Band + Other Hip Stuff for Kids

Posted on by Jodi Bloom

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Last night Molly planned a TV date for us that included viewing The Naked Brothers Band movie on Nickelodeon Teen Teen Nick (says Molly, gosh mom quit embarrassing me) and the consumption of delicious baked apples, made earlier in the day (core apple, stuff with as much butter, brown sugar, cranberries & walnuts as possible and bake at 375 for 1-1.5 hrs depending on how soft you like them), then warmed up in the microwave. YUM. If I’m discovering this movie late, I apologize; I see it was released in 05, and I don’t know how I missed it. INGENIUS, hilarious, sweet and seriously rocking. If you have kids, or ever were a kid, do not miss this flick

I think most kids either want to be in a rock band at some point or at least hang out with kids who want to… and this movie (as well as the series which is coming to Nick soon) treats you to a mockumentary style send-up of those heady days. The film, by Polly Draper, stars her two sons Nat and Alex Wolff, ages 9 and 6 respectively. For my money, Alex, the drummer who wears a do-rag, steals the show. When asked how they boys came up with the band’s name they answer: Well, we liked playing music. And we were naked. And we’re brothers. The humor is sharp and deadpan, and the music is sweetly adorable.

My 1960’s suburban version of this story was hanging out in the garage across the street where some “older boys” practiced in their band, Steel Tangerine. Leader, Brad, was super sexy and we all had crushes on him. The Tangerine played at my bat-mitzvah party (incuding their 20 minute cover of Innagaddadavida Baby), a major throwdown held poolside at the Columbus, Ohio, Howard Johnson’s where the indoor pool was housed under an enoroums clear bubble. I kid you not, I am not making this up. Unfortunately, at that very party, the star of the show (moi) got into some serious trouble, but that’s another story for another time.

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Another movie we’ve been into is Dinsey Channels Jump In, which is really just their “urban” (read: the actors are black and the film is shot with grittier [for Disney anyway] grafittied city rather than squeaky clean suburban sets) version of the ubiquitous and mostly intolerable Highschool Musical. Jump In is much better, and chronicles the trials of a rather lame all-girl double-dutch team whose boring routines are saved by Izzy, played by Brooklynite teen Corbin Bleu, who we think is trés awesome (see above) . Grown-ups will reasonably enjoy the movie once all the way through, but during successive viewings (if you have children you know they can watch stuff like hundreds of times until you want to kill yourself) bail out until the last scenes of the big double-dutch competition, which are wild and incredible to watch. Go Corbin! It’s Disney, so it’s not possible to call this film hip, but it has its moments.

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Then there’s the über hip Pancake Mountain starring a puppet named Rufus Leaking (above), not a movie, but a local DC-cable TV show that is available on DVD and really worth the bucks. Filmed at cool live music venues around town when bands are here to play shows, PM features dance parties for kids ages 3+, skits, and lots of goofy fun. And the band line-up is most excellent, including Subways, Shonen Knife, and the Go! Team, to name just a few. Molly and I attended the taping of the Go! Team show at the Black Cat, and it was fun. Fortunately, ear plugs were handed out… I’ve NEVER in my life heard music played so ear-bloodyingly LOUD. Please, if you take your kids to rock shows, be a smart mommy and bring ear plugs; it’s actually even more dangerous for their hearing than for yours.

Bestest Band, Bestest Song

Posted on by Jodi Bloom

Modern Art Makes Me Want to ROCK OUT

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I don’t have the wherewithall at the moment to write any cultural reviews of movies, books, art, etc, which is what I want to do with this space, but I do want to explain the name of this subject area because it’s the BESTEST song by the BESTEST band. If you haven’t heard the first offering by UK band, Art Brüt, run don’t walk to your nearest amazon.com or itunes or whatever and buy the freaking thing b/c it rocks so hard it will make you want to shout and dance and jump up and down vertically, like you used to when you were young and hung out at rock clubs. I know b/c after practically lasering holes in the disc with my car CD player, I went to see them at the Black Cat, drank a bit too much, and jumped vertically up and down like I did when I was young and hung out at rock clubs. I’m sorry if it’s not the prettiest endorsement, just go out and buy the record. I named a subject after it! Molly and I go wild dancing to this record! Here, here’s a link.

PS: OMG… well it appears the Art Brüt boys have a new one out… heading over to itunes as we speak. Review to come.

PSS: Modern art really does make me want to rock out. Really.