We Must Become The Pitiless Censors Of Ourselves

[travis]

haha the maus owes you NOTHING. sorry but you pay for the music and you get the music, nothing else.

yeah right, a lot of ideas come with his music. am i to play his music and have my neighbor or friend or family member or stranger hear and consider who i am? you're reducing his music to common commercialism which is, whatever,,,i think it's an insult, i think most people attach to music with some personal identity and i think most musicians find their identity through music, especially ariel, especially john. they identify with what compels them, makes them feel, gives them energy, this is rock &roll, it's rock&roll, huh, you know? so you can get the fuck out of your head with that shit and your terrible avatar.

[travis]

haha the maus owes you NOTHING. sorry but you pay for the music and you get the music, nothing else.

yeah right, a lot of ideas come with his music. am i to play his music and have my neighbor or friend or family member or stranger hear and consider who i am? you're reducing his music to common commercialism which is, whatever,,,i think it's an insult, i think most people attach to music with some personal identity and i think most musicians find their identity through music, especially ariel, especially john. they identify with what compels them, makes them feel, gives them energy, this is rock &roll, it's rock&roll, huh, you know? so you can get the fuck out of your head with that shit and your terrible avatar.

so if i identify with john, i believe i can push the questions "why" and "who" until i find resolve...because he presents himself to the public., and,. in an extraordinary way.

[pinkspoons]

im not reducing his music at all.

he is an artist. do you get that?


his "art" is there for you to appreciate it or not. he does not owe anyone an explanation or in-depth description of his lyrics or any part of the music for that matter... if he wants to discuss it that is different.

[pluckypurcell]

haha what am i reading here? it sounds like you maybe stalk john maus, and constantly berate him and demand that he explain his artistic decisions via email. i'd probably be nervous in interviews too, for fear of setting you off on a crazy email assault.

[travis]

you're idea is art is like a free pass. that's not how shit is. you try pushing art and feel that. art is an expression or something like that from someone or a collective and you are definitely reducing his music by calling it 'art'. what does art communicate and why communicate it??? huh???? what's john getting for being an 'artist'? i assume you think it's all ideas with no actions, but i know, doesn't it attempt to organize thoughts and people's bodies? doesn't it attempt to console emotions? i just can't imagine you live so estranged as to think an artist has no responsibility. it's like, let's go to a john maus show, i heard there are sexy girls that attend and a bar, we can have fun...why have lyrics! right? it's like a novelty then isn't it? someone tell me it's just a strong novelty...

[pluckypurcell]

and have you actually ever purchased any john maus mp3s/records/cds/anything? perhaps it is you that owes him.

[travis]

and have you actually ever purchased any john maus mp3s/records/cds/anything? perhaps it is you that owes him.

[pluckypurcell]

you're idea is art is like a free pass. that's not how shit is. you try pushing art and feel that. art is an expression or something like that from someone or a collective and you are definitely reducing his music by calling it 'art'. what does art communicate and why communicate it??? huh???? what's john getting for being an 'artist'? i assume you think it's all ideas with no actions, but i know, doesn't it attempt to organize thoughts and people's bodies? doesn't it attempt to console emotions? i just can't imagine you live so estranged as to think an artist has no responsibility. it's like, let's go to a john maus show, i heard there are sexy girls that attend and a bar, we can have fun...why have lyrics! right? it's like a novelty then isn't it? someone tell me it's just a strong novelty...

art is absolutely a free pass because anyone is free to say or create pretty much anything they want to, as long as it doesn't impede on the rights of others. you have a choice to either ignore it or purchase it.

[travis]

you're idea is art is like a free pass. that's not how shit is. you try pushing art and feel that. art is an expression or something like that from someone or a collective and you are definitely reducing his music by calling it 'art'. what does art communicate and why communicate it??? huh???? what's john getting for being an 'artist'? i assume you think it's all ideas with no actions, but i know, doesn't it attempt to organize thoughts and people's bodies? doesn't it attempt to console emotions? i just can't imagine you live so estranged as to think an artist has no responsibility. it's like, let's go to a john maus show, i heard there are sexy girls that attend and a bar, we can have fun...why have lyrics! right? it's like a novelty then isn't it? someone tell me it's just a strong novelty...

art is absolutely a free pass because anyone is free to say or create pretty much anything they want to, as long as it doesn't impede on the rights of others. you have to choice to either ignore it or purchase it.

i disagree. i think, maybe, if you're in the right social network, and apply to the limits of that, then, you are free within that. some people have more resources within their limits and it can be extremely imposing, which, may be my situation. being a fan and being influenced are two different relationships. i think a fan would use the music for pleasure and someone being influenced would try to understand the situation that created the music. i think understanding the situation within ariel and john is the most appealing thing about it all.

[meewillis]

Some guy put fairly good quality versions of the songs up on youtube.
Upon first listen, every song conjures visions of...mottled seafoam.
I think I like this "travis" entity. Just what mausspace needs. Except for the part where he smashed a 688...

whatever, buy the music, see the show...if you're 21...

The guiding principle I extract from John and Ariel is that of continued development/output. They seem to reject notions of truth and perfection, as far as recording goes, maybe in everything, in favor of sustained output. Interesting results. Do something. Keep on pushing on? Unfortunately both of them sort of fell of that idea in the mid to late 2000's, john with school or whatever and ariel with his sister's accident and paw tracks launching him out of a cannon. Given the direction worn copy went in, Haunted Grafitti 9 could have been...dunno. Like john said in an recent interview, he spent a lot of time at home trying to record pitiless censors with just nothing happening. It might just be the fact that most of the songs were available in some form before the leak earlier today, but I feel like the album reflects this lack of devlopment. It doesn't have some of that immediacy, the bowel movements, "strong novelty", the? truth? of? pop?
This stagnation would be cause for alarm if it weren't for the fact that John realizes he's hit a wall as mentioned it in the fader interview, and plans on going back to the principles of 'songs', hopefully just in the abstract sense. I wonder if ariel has come to a similar realization. All signs point to "nope".
Of course this is very relevant to me and other late-teens early 20's people(most if not all of you?): How do you keep going with what you do, be it home taping, amateur extrasolar cartography, weapon design? How do you preserve that tape-exchange utopia sort of thing as long as possible? What institutions threaten that ideal and how can they be dealt with?

tl;dr keep makin tapes

[pluckypurcell]

you're idea is art is like a free pass. that's not how shit is. you try pushing art and feel that. art is an expression or something like that from someone or a collective and you are definitely reducing his music by calling it 'art'. what does art communicate and why communicate it??? huh???? what's john getting for being an 'artist'? i assume you think it's all ideas with no actions, but i know, doesn't it attempt to organize thoughts and people's bodies? doesn't it attempt to console emotions? i just can't imagine you live so estranged as to think an artist has no responsibility. it's like, let's go to a john maus show, i heard there are sexy girls that attend and a bar, we can have fun...why have lyrics! right? it's like a novelty then isn't it? someone tell me it's just a strong novelty...

you keep seeing art as the answer to your problems. like if you were having romantic issues, would you read 'the sorrows of young werther' and kill yourself at the end? no, but it maybe would inform you on how to pursue things differently going forward.

johnn muas isn't trying to personally console you. he's just expressing himself, and hoping it might be of interest to other individuals. if they are willing to pay for it, so be it.

[pluckypurcell]

i disagree. i think, maybe, if you're in the right social network, and apply to the limits of that, then, you are free within that. some people have more resources within their limits and it can be extremely imposing, which, may be my situation. being a fan and being influenced are two different relationships. i think a fan would use the music for pleasure and someone being influenced would try to understand the situation that created the music. i think understanding the situation within ariel and john is the most appealing thing about it all.

do you think you deserve as much attention as john maus or ariel pink? even night jewel or tickley feather or geneva jacuzzi? give me a break. who is more important: the life-long fan who will never play a note in his/her life, but applies the music to everyday life and learns from it or takes inspiration from it, or the inept poseur who was influenced by the artist but just can't cut it personally, always coming up with cheap knock offs?

[travis]

if john maus isn't speaking for anyone he shouldn't address any public political issues, like, 'gays' or, 'money' or any of that shit. i think i've hit it dead on by labeling it 'novelty'. i guess what i'm conflicted with, and what i'm getting at is this: if it's novelty, i want it to be known as novelty, or, i want someone to say, yeah, you're right, i agree and believe it to be so with you. it's obviously embarrassing to assume something novel is serious and how could something that's simply an idea and a song not be novel. it seems all music is novelty, you see? if they had any more power they'd be doing.....what???? taking significant political positions...???? it's just absurd....it's crazy...it leaks into everything about america. i mean, intelligent, well connected, men, well adjusted, with significant resources, make personal expressions, this music. it just can't be anything but absurd, because, like, what does it seek to do. bring you to a show and get you to purchase a vinyl or cd. i'm just personally conflicted with the whole thing as i see it connects to other media and that other media has directly modified my freedom and life, you know? quality of life. this stuff attempts to go through the channel to, destruct, but it's not destructing, it's like, blending...you know what i mean?

[travis]

i disagree. i think, maybe, if you're in the right social network, and apply to the limits of that, then, you are free within that. some people have more resources within their limits and it can be extremely imposing, which, may be my situation. being a fan and being influenced are two different relationships. i think a fan would use the music for pleasure and someone being influenced would try to understand the situation that created the music. i think understanding the situation within ariel and john is the most appealing thing about it all.

do you think you deserve as much attention as john maus or ariel pink? even night jewel or tickley feather or geneva jacuzzi? give me a break. who is more important: the life-long fan who will never play a note in his/her life, but applies the music to everyday life and learns from it or takes inspiration from it, or the inept poseur who was influenced by the artist but just can't cut it personally, always coming up with cheap knock offs?

that's like, i'll take it as a personal focus, right.. i don't know how much attention they get, i think they get alot from people i had, a few years ago, enjoyed being around in party/conversation/social/youknow scenarios. i don't think nite jewel or tickley feather is close enough connected. you could throw a few other 20 or 30 artists into that screen. geneva i do believe is a direct connection. i think the life long fan that never plays a note but listens to the lyrics and feel and all that, has the greatest potential. i think an artist that contributes to the feeling and idea has potential too, but only if nurtured, if not, then i don't see how they could make anything significant. it all attempts to strengthen the ego of the artist and expand the account and profile, which, is good enough reasoning for me, but, i am conflicted when there is shit thrown around about community and what music can be. that shit is a distortion.

[travis]

i disagree. i think, maybe, if you're in the right social network, and apply to the limits of that, then, you are free within that. some people have more resources within their limits and it can be extremely imposing, which, may be my situation. being a fan and being influenced are two different relationships. i think a fan would use the music for pleasure and someone being influenced would try to understand the situation that created the music. i think understanding the situation within ariel and john is the most appealing thing about it all.

do you think you deserve as much attention as john maus or ariel pink? even night jewel or tickley feather or geneva jacuzzi? give me a break. who is more important: the life-long fan who will never play a note in his/her life, but applies the music to everyday life and learns from it or takes inspiration from it, or the inept poseur who was influenced by the artist but just can't cut it personally, always coming up with cheap knock offs?

that's like, i'll take it as a personal focus, right.. i don't know how much attention they get, i think they get alot from people i had, a few years ago, enjoyed being around in party/conversation/social/youknow scenarios. i don't think nite jewel or tickley feather is close enough connected. you could throw a few other 20 or 30 artists into that screen. geneva i do believe is a direct connection. i think the life long fan that never plays a note but listens to the lyrics and feel and all that, has the greatest potential. i think an artist that contributes to the feeling and idea has potential too, but only if nurtured, if not, then i don't see how they could make anything significant. it all attempts to strengthen the ego of the artist and expand the account and profile, which, is good enough reasoning for me, but, i am conflicted when there is shit thrown around about community and what music can be. that shit is a distortion.

i think the line that will never be crossed with ariel and john is violence and organized group action. so., what does that make of their pursuits. it's a fantasy, it's nice, you can take the music and have a mystical masturbating maverick type session in the city night and feel like the mayor of some sort of dystopia. it's like, as far as you can go as being a consumer of pop knowledge and lifestyle, which, could be king or could be fool, depending on your particular situation and drive. for me, it's not enough, but you see, that not being enough....is difficult, because past that, it's like....cop killer you know?