Friday outing, Picasso surprise, new Robinson novel, Persian lentils

As Facebook friends will know, I've been very busy sewing lately, so artRecs might be more infrequent during the summer. To tide you over, I've got a slew of news, tunes and videos, plus two upcoming events. Happy summer!

:: events ::

• June 20: Off the Grid at the Oakland Museum of California. This week, several folks from Christ Church plan to meet up there at 6:30. We'll eat a bit, then maybe take advantage of half-off admission (only $7.50!) to check out the Vinyl show, or wander out into the neighborhood. Try to stop by!
• June 28: Adam Levy house concert in San Francisco, 7 p.m. Email rsvp@kcturnerpresents.com to RSVP and get the location. $20. (Note: Levy, who wrote at least one song for Norah Jones, is also giving a songwriting workshop beforehand; it's $30 to take in both.)
• July 12: Birthday Garden Party. Hopefully I'll have potatoes from my grow bins, but either way, I'll have garden-themed favors and maybe a plant-inspired drink or two. 6:30-11.
• Miss the May 8 discussion with NT Wright? You can hear a recording of his conversation about the Psalms with City Church's Scot Sherman. Caleb also shared this Veritas Forum video of Wright discussing technology and theology with Peter Thiel. And for low-fi folks, journalist Jonathan Merritt published a two-part interview with Wright that ranged from inerrancy to sexuality and science.

:: our stuff ::

• John has a new album out with his musical project Half-Handed Cloud. Stream and buy Flying Scroll Flight Control.
• A few weeks ago, I attended an artist dinner hosted by the folks at City Church, during which several people shared work. My favorite pieces: The whimsical, funny short Gunther by Pixar animator Erick Oh, and a beautiful song called "This Bird," a commissioned piece written by Winton White. Both pieces very creatively and effectively flip some common expectations about the world. Artist dinners break for the summer, but should resume in the fall. Let me know if you want to know more.
• An Open Letter to Male Virgins: I didn't plan to write my latest piece for Her.meneutics, but at the encouragement of some writer friends, I finally fleshed out an idea first prompted by a really weird online-dating experience.

:: tunes ::

• First Listens this week: New Phish, a unique Black Sabbath tribute album and a lengthy compilation of new Brazilian music.
• Icelandic band Arstidir was new to me, but this recording of them singing an ancient hymn in a train station was pretty cool. They weren't even busking or doing a formal video shoot, from what I can tell!
• Shortly before Christmas, a friend and I caught a small show at an underground Berkeley music venue, featuring my friend Adam Levy and singer/pianist Jonah Smith. Though both men have many musical talents, my favorite song from their set was a great, soulful cover of James Booker's "Classified." Since them I've learned that Booker was a brilliant but troubled New Orleans pianist who influenced many, including Harry Connick Jr. In an interview with Billboard last year about the new Booker documentary, Connick said, "There are very few pianists who cannot be transcribed. He is one of them."
• Yoshi's San Francisco has been acquired by new owners. It remains to be seen what the new management means for their music line-up, but this story also featured some interesting background on the original Yoshi's at Jack London Square.
  

:: visual art ::

• The art world's abuzz over news of a different portrait found beneath Picasso's painting The Blue Room.
• Homeless artist gets berth in San Francisco marathon: In one of those old-fashioned journalism success stories, a Chronicle profile of a homeless artist and avid runner has helped get him into the San Francisco marathon. Stories like this resonate differently with me since becoming friends with a homeless woman outside my BART station. Now that I've known her several months, I spend a lot more time lately wondering if and how her life could change, and what that would take.
  
• Party showcases Kurt Vonnegut's drawings: Years ago at an event in New York, I met a woman who held what was arguably many people's dream job: art director for a large magazine. But as we talked, I learned that sculpture was her real passion. Similarly, writing proved more day job than dream job for Kurt Vonnegut -- at least according to this WSJ piece on his recently exhibited drawings. Reminds me of the David Wilcox song off his 1999 record Underneath, it's "Never Enough."
• I thought this analysis of the new World Trade Center memorial's dual purpose was interesting. But at the same time, it seems like most memorials must balance respect for those died with service to those who visit. I suppose this memorial feels different because of the scale of the loss, its recency, and how personally so many people experienced the event.
• Manga edition fuels debate over radiation around Fukushima.
• If you're into vintage photography, this rare set of photos documents a 1939 honeymoon in England. Learn more about the series on the blog where it originally appeared.
  

:: film & tv ::

• Meet the Patels: This documentary of "semi-arranged marriage" looks promising, from the Wall Street Journal's write-up. I'm not sure if or when it opens here.
• I don't know if I'll see it or not, but the New York Times review of The Immigrant, with Joaquin Phoenix and Marion Cotillard, sounds intriguing.
• Christians can have a knee-jerk reaction to certain abortion stories, but I thought Christianity Today's Katelyn Beaty gave a very even-handed review to indie "abortion comedy" Obvious Child, though I still find the name a bit strange.
  
• I'm a bit late to this, but Jimmy Fallon's had a really funny recurring skit with various guests, in which each pretends they once worked with him on a Canadian soap opera called Jacob's Patience. Each time, the guest insisted on using mannequin arms, a requirement extended to all cast members. Hilarity ensues.
• Steve Carell and Justin Timberlake introduce Jimmy to his suit options at a Florida haberdashery
• In part 2, they talk Jimmy into a custom-made suit, serve him a drink and show him how to tie a tie. 
• Seth Rogen sells Jimmy some pot and prepares a batch of pot brownies 
• While the brownies bake, Seth and Jimmy (attempt to) jam on guitar and bongo drums 

As Her.meneutics editor Kate Minnicks wrote for the June issue of Christianity Today, skits like these are just one way Jimmy's bring fun and joy back to comedy.

:: poetry ::

• This profile of a rising, often bawdy, poet from the Midwest doesn't just introduce a fascinating person, it features some really tremendous writing.
• Aaron Belz, whom I've mentioned here before, has a new collection out called Glitter Bomb. Get a taste of his frequently comic works on his website.
• I'm not sure if there's more to this, but writer Sherman Alexie has a nice "ode to gray" on his poetry page.
• Quite possibly the best poetry I've read recently came from Marilyn Nelson's wonderful biography of George Washington Carver. I love the creative structural approach she took and, in Nelson's hands, poetry proves a wonderful prism for recounting someone's life. I can't say enough good things about the book.

:: reading/food for thought ::

• The forthcoming Marilyn Robinson novel, Lila, will fill in part of Gilead's backstory. You can preorder the book on Amazon. It's due out in October -- which gives you (and me) enough time to read Gilead if you haven't yet. 
• The winner of a major literary prize for women suffered years of rejection by publishers who thought her "experimental" book too difficult to sell. One reviewer called debut novelist Eimear McBride "Edna O'Brien meets James Joyce." The Guardian's Ann Enright dubbed A Girl is a Half-Formed Thing an "instant classic." Read more reviews.
• I'm partial to handwriting anyway, but this recent piece rounding up several studies on the neurological activity associated with writing by hand vs. typing suggests that cursive could still provide important benefits even in the digital age.

:: food ::

• I've never eaten there, but long-time San Francisco restaurant Fleur de Lis will close at the end of June. Apparently it was one of the first "chef-driven restaurants" and an early adopter of all-veg entrees on the menu. They're accepting reservations through June 28, if anyone wants to check them out before the serve their final meal.
• After Maya Angelou's death, it seemed like most sites published not one but several tributes. This may be the only one to include her cornbread salad recipe. Angelou's love of cooking also infused some of her poetry.
• A group called San Francisco Heritage recently added 25 establishments to its list of "legacy" bars and restaurants, bringing the list to 100. I think I've been to about 17, thanks to a recent visit to Hi Dive (formerly Boondocks, whose building dates to the 1930s). Maybe this will be the year I finally visit Tadich Grill...
• I've yet to try it, but this recipe for persian rice with dates, lentils and raisins looks very promising -- plus a good way to get more lentils in your diet. 

Belgian pop, onion-tear pics, pepper-syrup drinks

This week I wanted to start with a long rhapsody on libraries, since the new North Beach branch just opened, but I fear I've already gone a little hogwild with links to share. Instead, come to my housewarming party May 31 to hear that story in person!

And if you're in North Beach, check out the new library on Columbus at Lombard. They did a pretty nice job with the building, and there's a lovely little plaza with steps on one side.

Lastly, my new piece for Her.meneutics is up today. This time I tackle the ever-complicated question of male-female friendship. Maybe I'll have to see if the library has When Harry Met Sally in...

:: events ::

• San Francisco Dine About Town, June 1-15
• SF Jazz Festival, June 11-22
  

:: tunes ::

• This slow-jam version of the Ducktails theme (H/T Voloe) tipped me off to one of the more creative acts I've heard in a while: Postmodern Jukebox. The Canadian ensemble, which features a rotating cast of vocalists, specializes in unusual covers of pop songs:
• Klezmer version of "Talk Dirty"
• 12 variations on Peggy Lee's "Fever" in the style of Michael Jackson, Kanye, Bizet, the Eurythmics and more
  
• Motown spin on Avril Lavigne's "Sk8tr Boi"
• Swing cover of Beyonce's "Drunk in Love"
• Doo-wop take on Miley Cyrus' "We Can't Stop"
• Barn-dance version of "Blurred Lines"
• A surprisingly catchy, 1930s influenced "Call Me Maybe"
  
• "Thrift Store," as it might have been performed in an Old West saloon
• New Orleans soul version of "Sweet Child of Mine"

Sure, it's a shtick, but they do it very well and many pop songs prove surprisingly singable when you strip away the top-40 production. Buy their album from various digital vendors. And if you'll be on the East Coast or in Europe this summer, you might even catch them live.

• Australian band worth checking out: Lately I play a lot of jazz radio at home, but the other day in the car I had KFOG on when the kind of song began that made me listen eagerly for the end to hear the credits. I didn't write it down, but I'm pretty sure what I heard was Australian band Boy and Bear's song "Southern Sun." Check them out if you like Ivan and Alyosha or the Jayhawks. They don't seem to tour the U.S. much, but they'll play a handful of shows here this summer (note that "CA" on their calendar signifies Canada, not California, alas).
  
• The Black Keys' new album Turn Blue just came out. In this NPR interview, the musicians talk about their songwriting process and working with producer Brian Benton (aka Danger Mouse). Story includes a couple new songs.
  
• New Katie Herzig: The Ten out of Tenn alumna recently played her song "Walk Through Walls" on VH1. (Herzig's one of several musicians Charlie Peacock has mentored or produced. In 2008, Paste magazine featured her as one of 22 new artists to watch.) "Walk Through Walls" is the title track of her new album.
  
• Andrew Bird to play Saratoga: Of all the Bay Area music venues I've been to, Mountain Winery might be my least favorite. It's beautiful, sure, but the narrow road up to the venue quickly backs up and parking costs $20/car. BUT, for Andrew Bird -- who plays there Saturday, Aug. 2 -- I just might make the trek. Paste reports he's touring with a "Hands of Glory" band this summer, musicians to include Tift Merritt. Hands of Glory, which draws on the American folk songbook in sound, was my favorite of his last few albums. And if his December SF set with Tift and bassist Todd Sickafoose is any indication, this summer's shows should be a real treat. 
• Belgian singer to watch? My neighbor's son introduced me to Stromae the other night. I'd never heard of him till now, but he's apparently developed a huge following in Europe, which this PolicyMic story puts in the larger socio-economic context. He was also on a recent Time Out cover. Though he seems to sing mainly in French, I wouldn't be surprised if you start hearing his songs in hip clubs, restaurants and tapas bars.

:: visual art & design ::

• Coit Tower reopens; anyone want to plan a post-work field trip to check out the repaired murals?
  
• How onion tears differ from sad and elated tears: This fascinating photo series by Rose-Lynn Fisher explores the chemical differences in tears. BuzzFeed recently surfaced the story, which first ran on the Smithsonian site last fall.
  
• Women use art to challenge street harassment and fetishization:
• In her 'Stop Telling Women to Smile' poster series, Brooklyn-based artist Tatyana Fazlalizadeh uses portraits to challenge street harassment. Since 2012, she's used poster versions of the portraits to stage a public art/PSA mashup on the walls of Brooklyn streets. (A little brag: After I mentioned her work to a Paste editor, they wrote a short piece on her portraiture.)
• Fellow Brooklyn artist Donna Choi's project is even more pointed: Her eight-piece guide to "yellow fever" responds to the fetishization of Asian women. I can't figure out where/how she's distributed the series, however, aside from the HuffPo piece cited here.
• Misrepresenting kidnapping victims: In recent days, the #bringbackourgirls hashtag has exploded on social media, in response to the kidnapping of nearly 300 Nigerian school girls. Unfortunately, one of the posters instrumental in spreading the hashtag used photos of young women from Guinea Bissau, photographed over the last two decades. The New York Times' Lens blog spoke to the photographer, Ami Vitale.
• Painter of Beat poets dies: I didn't know of Robert LaVigne's work until a poet acquaintance shared his obituary, but I have a soft spot for the North Beach artist scene, thanks to two now-deceased men I met at Cafe Trieste during my first year or so in the Bay Area. You can get a flavor of LaVigne's portraits and experience of the Beat years in this essay he wrote several years back.

:: reading/food for thought ::

• Finding humor in injury: Falling beneath a subway train has brought unexpected attention to a New York comedian, who recently performed a routine that drew heavily on her many surgeries and months in the hospital.
• Vocations in media: My friend Joe Kickasola was recently featured on the Center for Faith and Work site. One of some of my dearest friends in New York, Joe leads a Baylor semester-in-the-city program for communication students.
• 'There's more to love than "True Love"' - Alissa Wilkinson on friendship, love and romance in the movies and life.
  

:: food ::

Several months back, I tried a recipe that called for black pepper simple syrup, which involved filling a plastic bag with pepper corns and whacking them several times with a cast-iron skillet. Literally. Unfortunately, I didn't love the cocktail that much, so I'm left with a lot of simple syrup. Fortunately, you can use black-pepper syrup in other ways, though it may threaten your non-hipster cred:

• Dalmatian
• Slow Loris

And if black-pepper syrup bores you, check out these recipes:

• The "vasco de gama" with apple/spice syrup
• A drink using vanilla peppercorn syrup
• Spiced rum, in case you feel like a Christmas in July party