Austin Wills James

Austin, 

Thanks for the awesome mailart! It's sooo cool! Love the music as well. I will be sending you something soon. 

Have you gotten my card yet? I'm hoping it's not lost :(

hi
was a pleasure to have you n my page.
I hope to share with you the beauty of this art.

hugs

Hi AWJ~ No worries about posting pics, just happy to know I didn't have another card fall victim to the USPS. Since December I've had 3 cards go MIA and I'm starting to think there's a real problem at the little drugstore post office I use, glad yours made it!

Austin, you are the best. I just found a live version of Pearl Jam's "I've Got A Feeling" - didn't know they covered it. They brought the song to life. You know, for "Let it Be" the Beatles recorded hundreds of hours of music and could barely squeeze 1/2 hour of decent music out of it. Sad story. Thanks for the Pearl Jam!

You're welcome!  Glad you like it!  Why are we up so early?

Sounds peaceful.  Nice.

The CD's are AWESOME!!!!  I love working to them!  Thank you again!

So glad you like it!  Framed it.....WOW!

Thanks, I wanted to know. Didn't mean to turn it into a chat room. I remember when IUOMA was so small people just carried on conversations on the board.

Well, I'm old ya know, and the thing that impresses me now most is what you can do w/ foot peddles. Dw has a ton and a "Bro" recorder that con do, I think, up to 32 tracks. I play with it.

Yeah, I had a Cry Baby wah-wah peddle - that was high tech then. But they are still around.

Speaking of Hendrix - when I was a really little kid - like I never could have gone - Hendrix played in town. He was the warm up act for The Monkees. That urabn legend is definitely true. It was billed The Monkees with Jimi Hendrix. All the kids cared about was the Monkees. No one had any idea.

This is great. I can talk music forever, but have to head out due to a hard dealine anyway.

I knew you had that music heritage in your family. You should be proud of that. I never saw Clapton and REALLY have wanted to because the reputation is so huge and live, in-person is the test.

Your mom was fortunate indeed. Some friends went to the Cream Reunion in NYC a few years back and said it was spectacular, but that thing cost a small fortune. I saw Ginger Baker (Cream drimmer) with PIL - Johnny Rotten's band. That was strange. Jack Bruce (Cream) is a genius bass player - if you're looking to the classics.

A long time ago Clapton did a huge arena show in Buffalo and passed out on stage and had to be carried off - ruined the show. So locally, people were really bad-mouthing him - burnout and all that. I missed a few chances to see him as a result, due to peer pressure I suppose.

Later, remember not to get me started.

One last - I think you should consider doing some experimental music for the network. Think about it.

And 2x one more - I think acoustic/eletric is the way - the best sound, IMHO. Good for you.

I saw the Grateful Dead once. What about you?

I'd sure like to hear "White Room" live.

Auburn - where I am - has a lot of musicians through the NYC pipeline. It's close enough to do your business in NYC but basically country & cheap. And, you know, music is about touring. Who can afford NYC?

Anyway, there's a guy in town Andy McDonald - who is the guitar player for Blue Cheer. He's a replacement for the original, but Blue Cheer is an interesting band. They were started by Owsley Stan in San Francisco at the same time the Dead were founded. You know he financed bands & got into sound systems and stuff. Blue Cheer was one of his other creations.

Blue Cheer didn't make it like the Dead - "Summertime Blues" was their only hit - but they do this really heavy,distorted music that's given credit for inspiring Heavy Metal. A lot of people get that credit, but the music is seriously heavy. At this point, they're better known in Europe - the guy was always gone to Europe - but an original Owsley band is pretty interesting. I think there are only two original members - pretty old now - but they go back to Garcia and the Acid Tests - you know, untuning your instruments and jamming all night. 

I'm sorry you missed Garcia; can't be helped - but I know you would have appreciated it. It sounds like the remaining members are keeping the tradition, so that's pretty good and would have given you a sense of it. I mean, shit, the Rolling Stones? Jagger and Richards are the only two originals left. The other jam band legend - beside Pearl Jam (haven't seen them) - Phish, right?

This kind of music has a history now. I think a lot of musicians dig into it - the same way Clapton, Page,Beck - dug into obscure blues records going back to the 1920s & 30s. They are blues scholars - they know every riff on every Mississippi Delta album ever cut. Or the way the members of Steely Dan are jazz scholars.. You have a tremendous advantage knowing roots. Jimmy Page solos were collages - quotes - of old blues riffs. It sure worked.

And the old Acid Tests with the Dead - before LSD was made illegal in 1966 - they filled garbage cans with punch laced with acid and the concerts were these strange "happenings." You can see how Owsley and musicians got connected. The rave thing - you must know a lot more about that - was really an extension - and the techno stuff from that is pretty mazing.

Austin,

I will reciprocate shortly...thanks...

dave

Confession....I write how I talk. I realized after I hit send that I had dropped my favorite variety of the fbomb in your mail.  Sorry about that, truly unintentional

Thanks so much for the first welcome!

Yup, still alive and kicking.   You can find me nowadays in the basement of our local science museum cleaning trex teeth.  No computers or scanners there, so not lots of mailarting lately.  But I did make you something today!  Keep your eyes on the post!

That's me! I get to wear a lab coat and look all smart!

What's a 'trex'? Does it bite? Is it from Texas?

Hope you are well. Regards, Val

I am so glad for your friendship, Austin! Music I like is for instance Kate Bush, Róisín, Daft Punk but all music influences me. Patti Smiths lyrics Free Money is right now a new lovely experience too me. I know, little late.. but better than never... Looking forward to exchange mail art with you!

That's beautiful! Hello new Friend!!!

Thanks. If it's a T-Rex, then I know what she means.

Valentine Mark Bolan

Oh Boy, I can't wait!

Hey there guy, I got something in the mail from you today. Thanks so much. I do have a question, how did you laminate your work? I need to come up with a new way to secure all of my images down without using so much tape. Sending something to you on Monday.

Thank you for your kind offer!  Is there anything you want me to send you in return?  Looking forward to receiving your rap-related stuff, and will let you know when your package arrives. - Gail

THE Ed Ved!! Nice one. Thanks Austin, sweet dreams now for sure!! ;-)))

Hi Austin!  The music and the art art great (including your ATCs)!!!!!  Thank you!

Thanks Austin.  I appreciate that. That is most kind of  you.  -Lizzie

Hey thanks so much for the information. I'm getting to the point where I'm going to make larger pieces to sell or give away or whatever, and I need something to make the process a little shorter.

By the way, you should get something from you tomorrow. Thanks again.

Hmm.. Thats like asking a kid their favorite candy.  If I had to choose something.. Right now, I would say.. Anything, Stevie Nicks or Fleetwood Mac.  Although, I'm finding a lot of passion for dubstep lately too.  I know weird huh.. What about you, my friend?

OMG, Austin, I saw on one of your envelopes that you have a kind of Lost in Space robot stamp!! It's so cool, please can you stamp him on a card and send him to me? I need to have it framed on my wall. Where did you find such a gem?

I don't think I'd ever get anything done if I could do artist stamps! I'm not good on computers anyway...but chopping rubber is fun. (When the hand doesn't hurt. ) Isn't the Tardis just a rectangular phone box? Sorry, I'm not a Who fan, the band maybe but not the show!! I'll keep my eye out for you though. ;-)

In the mail for you:

THE WAY TO LONDON 2012  = Zero Minus

Received your rap magazine today - Thank You! - Gail Anderson

what up AWJ...

you still want the rest of my picks?

You're welcome, Austin. Love the ska compilation...It's a genre that carries its own kind of energy. Sort of like punk rock but without the anger.

Austin, Thank you SO much for the absolute beauty so sent me. I love it, I love the colors and atmosphere you created. It's a fab for sure!

Hey neighbor~

Thanks for the recent laminated post card!  I really like the stamp and how you integrate the ink and wash work.  Plus the Robie the Robot is one of my favorite stamps I've ever seen.  I'm fond of nostalgia. 

Oh Mr. James!!!

WEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!! Hooray! winner winner chicken dinner!! (AS Arac says!! ) That's so exciting! ! And with my birthday coming up next week, which usually makes me depressed, that will be my best present ever!!

Thanks Austin, I'll be the best student at your Institute! :-)))))

No luck with your Tardis, but there have been some boxy looking stamps online...it's not just a phone box is it?

Thanks, Austin, very happy to be your friend and was meaning to ask you too ~

'Glad a bit-of-Greek-blue made it to Texas! xxx

Austin!! "Alien Asemic - Delta Sigma 9.004.615.42" arrived today and knocked me off my feet. Really great asemics on blue--very striking asemic style you've got there. I'm so happy to have this. Thank you very much, and you'll have m.a. from me soon."