“The clenched fist… signifies indignation, anger mastered and channelled, the determination of the struggle… it ‘symbolizes’ the working class in all its resolute strength… [this fist] cannot be read as the fist of some hoodlum, of some fascist: it is immediately a proletarian fist.” -Roland Barthes, “The Third Meaning”
“Arthur’s Fist is a reaction image featuring a screen capture of the protagonist Arthur from the titular children’s television series holding a clinched fist, which is often accompanied by captions describing various infuriating or frustrating circumstances.” - KnowYourMeme.com
todd rundgren is from the philly suburbs and every time i’m at a record store and there’s tons of like… $1 todd rundgren records in the used bin i want to buy them all so he doesn’t see them and feel bad.
Awww, I loved this!
Though, trust me, the core of his fans got rid of their record players and bought them on CD, so the Todd in the used bins is mostly a sign of someone spending money on him twice, which he’s probably cool with.
Plus, and Todd has done an interview about this somewhere but I’m too lazy to find it, he has always thought of music as necessarily existing beyond its physical manifestation: he’s a big fan of digital music. He’s not into the physical product, and was looking for a way to remove the physical intermediary even back in the 80s. He’d be totally okay with his fans dumping their records and carrying him around on their phones.
But if you feel compelled to buy his $1 records, you should: it’s how I discovered his music. Go for Something/Anything? or Hermit Of Mink Hollow for starters…
I find it irresistibly interesting when people are cathected onto their bad style rather than simply oblivious to it (a description that may apply to us all; I sense the risk increases with age).
Heyyy, the eTown Joan Shelley taping I attended late last year has aired and is available for all of us to enjoy. Just three tunes, plus an interview, but it’s very nice – Joan and Nathan Salsburg are joined by the in-house band on two songs and they sound kind of amazing. I contributed clapping and perhaps a “woo” or two. [PS: I’m not going to tell you what to do with your life, but you can probably skip the other performer on this broadcast.] Joan is headed overseas soon and then to the west coast and I highly encourage you to go see her if you can. Woo!
Reblogging for the general goodness that is Joan Shelley, but also because watching Nathan Salsburg play guitar makes me so happy and so impressed. Plus, he raved about J’s chicken liver pate on New Year’s Eve, so he has a special place in our hearts.
ALT
