At the Drive-In Reunite

Looks like one of my all time favorite bands have reunited for some shows in 2012. In 2009, founding At the Drive-In member Cedric Bixler-Zavala teased a possible band reunion, explaining they'd been "making amends" something I have heard at least once a year every year from common friends but now it's actually happening.  The band's website reads, "ATTENTION ! To whom it may concern: AT THE DRIVE-IN will be breaking their 11 year silence. THIS STATION IS .... NOW ....OPERATIONAL."  Referring to a lyric from the seminal Relationship of Command LP. They've also have begun Tweeting again.

The boys are set to play two dates at Coachella this year, April 15th and 22nd but there is no word on a new album or material in general.  I kind of have mixed feelings about this, I’ve never met a bigger fan of the band than myself, I was petty obsessed with all their records and have seen them live many times so I prefer to keep the memory as is. It is  interesting to see the extent  of all the love, something that always existed but became much more apparent after they broke up.  I remember when they were around and touring on the regular I couldn’t even  give tickets away for free due of the lack of interest from most people although those that were fans were always hardcore in showing it!

At The Drive-In Website Intro from MONDIAL on Vimeo.

Follow Up: Judge Squashes Photographer Janine Gordon's "Wasteful" Copyright Suit Against Ryan McGinley

photo by s.butterfly

You may recall back in July we reported that photographer/rapper  Janine (Jah Jah) Gordon had filed a lawsuit against fellow photographer and contemporary art star Ryan McGinley alleging that the artist stole her visual style and subject matter — infringements that Janine felt deserved monetary recompense to the tune of $30,000 per "copied" artwork targeting at least 150 of McGinley’s works.  Well we have an update for you, Southern District Court judge Richard Sullivan has thrown out the case adding a dismissive court statement, the judge concluded that "the dictates of good eyes and common sense lead inexorably to the conclusion that there is no substantial similarity between Plaintiff's works and the allegedly infringing compositions of McGinley." Judge Sullivan clearly branded Gordon's claims as overblown: "Such a conception of copyright law has no basis in statute, case law, or common sense," he writes. "One might have hoped that [plaintiff's] attorneys, presumably familiar with the basic tenets of copyright and intellectual property law, would have recognized the futility of this action before embarking on a long, costly, and ultimately wasteful course of litigation in a court of law."  

Ryan McGinley sued by fellow Photographer Janine "Jah Jah" Gordon

 Photographer/rapper  Janine (Jah Jah) Gordon has filed a lawsuit against fellow photographer and contemporary art star Ryan McGinley alleging that the artist stole her visual style and subject matter — infringements that Janine feels deserve monetary recompense to the tune of $30,000 per "copied" artwork, writes Artnet's Rachel Corbett. The question as always is can any artist really copyright subject matter?

The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York against Ryan McGinley and Levi's, targets 150 of McGinley's works, ranging from commercial shots for the jeans company and other companies to earlier pieces by the artist.

From Gordon's point of view, she sees McGinley taking subject matter and aesthetic strategy from her in the form of poses, compositions, and photography processes, what do you all think?

Nick Oliveri vs. S.W.A.T.

Always the wild one Nick Oliveri, formerly of Queens of the Stone Age and currently of Kyuss Lives!, was arrested last night following a standoff with members of the Los Angeles country S.W.A.T. team. TMZ.com reports that police arrived to Oliveri’s house last night after his girlfriend reported a disturbance. When the 39-year old rocker refused to let police enter the house or have his girlfriend leave it, a S.W.A.T. team was called and a two-hour standoff ensued. When Oliveri finally did surrender, he was found in possession of a fully loaded rifle. He was then promptly arrested and charged with a felony of domestic violence.