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I am here for Friends and Networking

About Me

In addition to the chief editor and head writer for the Urban Artist Group's "Sounds from the City Earth Underground" segment, I am now the Indie Music Journalist for the Philadelphia Examiner. The past two months have seen a handful of my articles published by them. The bands and singer/songwriters featured so far have been: "Da Comrade!," "the Riot Before," "Justin Duerr," "Robert Sarazin Blake," and another on "Northern Liberties." And I am currently finishing up articles on: "Mischief Brew," Fistolo Records, "Pete & the Tar Gang," "Boners & Airplanes," "Country Bob & the Bloodfarmers," "Joe Jack Talcum," "the Bee Team," and "Franz Nicolay." If you are a Philly band or singer/songwriter, feel free to send your material to me at the following address:the Urban Artist Group attn: James G. Carlson 102 E. Main Street, #6 Macungie, PA 18062 usaKnow that I do consider ALL Submissions. And because I get so many of them, it sometimes takes a while for the article to appear in print or online. Either way, I do reply to each and every e-mail and piece of post I get.http://www.examiner.com/x-4339-Philadelphia-Indie-Music- Examiner~y2009m2d26-The-Best-of-the-Underground-Set-Da-Comra de(copy & paste the above link to your search field to get to my Examiner Page. And while there, please subscribe to my segment to get e-mail notifications of all my contributions to the publication.)Recently I put together a sort of temporary makeshift website in order to post the finished articles (on the Independent bands and singer/songwriters of the City Earth Underground) for the upcoming Issue, as well as convey announcements, news, shows, record releases, and so on. The response to the website has been wonderfully unexpected, and thus it has gone from a website to a sort of webzine...and not so temporary, after all. On the Articles Page of the site, you can read the articles on: "David Dondero," "Robert Sarazin Blake," "Timber Timbre," "the Autumn Picture," "imadethismistake," "the Ghostwrite," "Raise Up Roof Beams," "the Good Day Sir," "Tin Tree Factory," "Future Kings of Nowhere," "Tim Holehouse," "Naomi Hates Humans," "Yeller Bellies," "the Devil Makes Three," and "Da Comrade!" It's actually a good thing that this has happened, even if unintentionally, as before I was only able to release two Issues in print per year or so, and that's if I was lucky. Now I can publish articles weekly, progress permitting, and make daily updates, etc. Now, the site is still in its infancy, so please bear with us until we can design it in a more permanent and presentable way. And keep checking in for new articles and updates. In fact, pretty soon you should be able to read articles on: "the Devil Makes Three," "Two Gallants," "the Andrew Jackson Jihad," "Mischief Brew," "the Riot Before," "Lion Eyes," "Da Comrade!," and "Endless Mike & the Beagle Club," among others. The link to our website/webzine is...http://www.theurbanartistgroup.com ************************************************************ The Urban Artist Group presents...Sounds from the City Earth Underground is our first Issue dedicated solely to one specific artistic medium, in this case music, independent bands and singer/songwriters. So far there will be full-length feature articles on the following bands and singer/songwriters (all of whom have proven themselves to be very talented artists and remarkable musicians with fresh levels of originality and unique vision), with the exception of the those already mentioned above, at the Webzine: "Andrew Jackson Jihad," "Ghost Mice," "Mischief Brew," "Pete & the Tar Gang," "the Riot Before," the Boy Bathing," "the Pasties," "Dandelion Junk Queens," "Endless Mike & the Beagle Club," "Barons of Tang," "Catgut Mary," "the Motorcylce Industry," "Lion Eyes," "Mother Nevada," "the Neverbeens," "Ride Your Bike," "Your Heart Breaks," "Justin Duerr & the Auric Doves of Avalon" (and/or "Justin Duerr & the Etheric Phoenix of Love"), and others. *This lineup is subject to change, however. ************************************************************ SUBMISSIONS: We accept submissions year round from every artistic medium imaginable. There are no restrictions or limitations other than that we do not consider racist, sexist, religious, or pro-establishment material under ANY circumstances (unless of course the materials are anti-racist, anti-sexist, anti-religion, or pro-anarchist in nature). Mainly we are looking for: poems, short stories, bands and singer/songwriters (whose music we review, and about whom we write full-length feature articles, etc), photographs, comics, drawings, image duplications of paintings compatible with our format, and so on.Incidentally, you can send submissions to:the Urban Artist Group HQ attn: James G. Carlson 1703 S Albert Street, unit 5 Allentown, PA 18103 usae-mail: [email protected] webzine: http://www.theurbanartistgroup.com/ blog page: http://www.theurbanartistgroup.blogspot.com***************** *******************************************VERY EXCITING NEWS: Arist, musician, and singer/songwriter, Justin Duerr, of Philadelphia, will be providing the artwork for the cover of the Urban Artist Group's upcoming Issue. Justin is also one of the featured singer/songwriters in the magazine, and he best known for his artwork, of course, as well as his band Northern Liberties, and now his solo material as Justin Duerr and the Etheric Phoenix of Love and/or Justin Duerr and the Auric Doves of Avalon (yes, he is quite preoccupied with birds!). But his art is nothing short of incredible, and we are honored to be displaying his work on the cover of this Issue. Thanks, Justin.***************************************************** *******Also, incidentally, I would like to offer a very public, "Thank you," to Richard Olmsted, whose art will be appearing on the cover of my next book: The Mother of Exiles by James G. Carlson. Richard is a very talented young artist, whose highly creative and expressive pieces are nothing short of great contributions to the art world.****************************************************** ******The purpose of the Urban Artist Group is to both support and showcase the work of the underground artists of the City Earth; which is to say, the artists who have starved and suffered for their art, who have refused to sell out, who have avoided the profiteering corporate devils of Big Business America and the many evils of marketing propaganda geared towards manipulating the minds and hearts of the targeted youth cultures of our times, and who create art for the sake of art itself. The Urban Artist Group is not exclusive to any one type of art, which means that we work with: poets, writers, musicians, photographers, painters, graffiti artists, cartoonists, tattoo artists...and, of course, those individuals who have endeavored to take on new and interesting artistic mediums that are both nameless and highly experimental. Most of the artists we work with are unpublished. And then there are some who have had work shown in other zines and whatnot. But we do not, under any circumstances, show the work of any mainstream artist whose work reflects all of the other assembly line copies of uninspired artistic garbage, or anti-art, for lack of a better term, which is created for the singular reason of achieving some level of recognition, and for that recognition to lead to wealth and a more desirable status on the rungs of that social ladder toward the top of the hierarchal pyramid, etc. Quite simply, we are very much against prostiting our art, as well as assisting others in prostiting their art...for there are far too many art whores in the scene as it is, to be sure. It is an avenue through which we can feed all of the important, meaningful, and worthwhile art and artists in the City Earth Underground, while sharing with the world all of the inspired and original masterpieces born of these infinitely talented and driven individuals. It is rebel art. It is the art of Freedom and Individuality, which in my way of thinking is nothing short of synonymous with anarchism. Next to Nature itself, and next to the few undeniably breathtaking things of human civilization, underground art is the most beautiful and natural thing in existence. Like the generations before it--the Lost Generation's F. Scott Fitzgerald and Ernest Hemingway, whose literary achievements changed the literary world irrevokably...and then the Beat Generation's Jack Kerouac, William S. Burroughs, and Allen Ginsberg, whose poetry and literary work went against the literary and artistic standards and norms of their time, causing an literary revolution (the likes of which hasn't been seen since)---the Urban Artist Group began with the Suiciden Generation. As an artist I represent the Suicide Generation, and it is my job to hold the door open for those of the new generation who want to take part in our artistic and literary revolutions. So...send in your photographs (preferrably black-and-white), your sketches, your poems, your short stories, your band's demo...hell, send in your whole damn portfolio, if you're so inclined, and we will definitely consider your work for the next issue of the Urban Artist Group Magazine.-------------------------------------------

My Interests

I'd like to meet:

I would like to meet the ghosts of William Blake. Jack Kerouac (the writer of such great works of American prose as On The Road, the Dharma Bums, Tristessa, Big Sur, and the Subterraneans). Jim Morrison (frontman for the Doors, who was a genius, a poet, a singer, and truly a free and passionate soul). William Seward Burroughs (author of Junky, Queer, Naked Lunch, and so forth, friend of Jack Kerouac, and important figure of the Beat Generation). Marilyn Monroe, or Norma Jean (model, actress, and prominent sex symbol of a time in our world's history that I would very much like to step into a Time Machine and visit---and Marilyn Monroe as a person I'd like to meet, incidentally, because...well, I read a book by Truman Capote a while back, Music For Cameleons, in which there was a story about his relationship with her and what she was like, and she sounded rather interesting and desirable and as if she had plenty of depth, etc.). Allen Ginsberg (poet, buddhist, and great bearded spiritual homosexual genius madman of the Beat Generation, whom William Burroughs survived by only a very short time, and who over some years wrote and then one night read the masterpiece poem Howl at the Six Gallery Poetry Reading among some of the best poets ever in this world's history, serving to change poetics forever). Betty Page (as she was when she was young and sultry, sensually, darkly, uniquely gorgeous and posing on the glossy sheets of magazine paper of Playboy and whatnot---the perfect woman). J. Bannon (of Converge) and Michael Williams (of Eyehategod), because they're both poets and lyrical geniuses with fascinating hearts and souls and...I would simply like to see what makes these two tick, what makes them able to pour forth such awesomely poetical lyrics of such intelligence and meaning and...like that. Hunter S. Thompson (1. because I really dig his writing, and 2. because the way Johnny Dep portrayed him in Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas made me me think that he'd be quite a person to get to know and hang-out with and all that). Buddha. Salvador Dali (the eccentric painter whose work is a mixture of natural genius, inspiration, and spiritual journeys with peyote and mesacline). and many many many more.(Huh. Yes, most of these people are dead and gone and in their eternal resting places and so forth, and although their legends live on in a sense...I had no idea how much I dislike the times into which I was born and the times in which I now live, and how very much I ache for a time that's not even my own time, where I have no business other than my interests and...and and and...whatever...I'm done.)

My Blog

the Goddamn Gallows

The Goddamn Gallows article (based on the Sterling Hotel show in Allentown, PA) , or at least part i. of the piece, has been published to the Philadelphia Examiner site. Part i. is a profile piece, wh...
Posted by on Sun, 14 Jun 2009 20:08:00 GMT

David Dondero is...the Transient

Since I've been writing for the Philadelphia Examiner for the past few months, I have taken some of the articles I had written prior to joining them...that is, when my sole journalistic endeavor was t...
Posted by on Thu, 11 Jun 2009 22:40:00 GMT

Indie Press for the Ghostwrite's "Self-Destructs" record

Hello all!Only just this morning my latest article---a brief profile and album review on both Ghostwrite and his recently released "Self-Destructs" record---was publishied at the Philadelphia Examiner...
Posted by on Fri, 05 Jun 2009 07:41:00 GMT

Indie Press for mewithoutYou...& CD Release Show at Troc

Hello all!Well, winter is finally over and spring is upon us. In fact, summer isn't so much gently knocking on the seasonal door as it is slamming against it like a S.W.A.T. Team battering ram. Truth ...
Posted by on Wed, 20 May 2009 05:14:00 GMT

Boners & Airplanes and other bits 'n pieces

As of this morning, the Boners & Airplanes article / interview has been published to the Philadelphia Examiner site. The link is:http://www.examiner.com/examiner/x-4339-Philadelphia-Indi e-Music-Examin...
Posted by on Sat, 02 May 2009 03:35:00 GMT

Pete & the Tar Gang's Songs of the Hollow Bone Moon

As of this afternoon, the Pete & the Tar Gang article/interview has been published to the Philadelphia Examiner site. I have provided the link for you (below). Check it out. And enjoy! http://www.exam...
Posted by on Fri, 17 Apr 2009 11:34:00 GMT

Bands! Singer/songwriters! Record labels! Etc...

If you're in an independent band...if you're an underground singer/songwriter...if you're a small label working with such bands and singer/songwriters, etc, I am calling on you to assist me with a rat...
Posted by on Thu, 09 Apr 2009 18:38:00 GMT

...favorite acoustic songs, ever.

On my drive home from work last night, which is a rather long drive (nearly a half hour, all told), I was listening to Dinosaur jr., the song "Quicksand" came on, and I began thinking about what my fa...
Posted by on Sat, 04 Apr 2009 07:12:00 GMT

life-things and general madness

It's strange how life can be a straightaway for the longest time, like driving northbound on a particularly bleak and isolated stretch of country highway, and then suddenly become a crazy thoroughfare...
Posted by on Thu, 02 Apr 2009 19:23:00 GMT

Best split record of the year so far

Yesterday I had a review published at the Philadelphia Examiner. It's a lengthy piece on the new split record between Mischief Brew & Joe Jack Talcum, Photographs from the Shoebox. If you'd like to ch...
Posted by on Mon, 30 Mar 2009 23:24:00 GMT