But Why, Sir? New Album from Parple

Forgive my shameless self promotion, but my excitement can't be contained as I share the outcome of several months of hard work. Earlier this summer, I joined a new band with some old friends out of South Jersey and New York City called Parple. Since then, we've been working furiously on our debut album, "But Why, Sir?" to be released this December.

I've played many live shows as a lead guitarist in my relatively short career so far with bands promoting their own albums and original music and have always enjoyed it. But I've never had the privilege and honor of working in a recording studio on an album, and even have my own creative input utilized. It's a tedious process, but a thrilling one at that. Its remarkably exciting to watch a piece of music slowly unfold before your ears.

I have to also say that the band, featuring a lineup of old high school buddies, one of which I was formerly in a band with, is a fantastic collection of some of the greatest musical minds I have personally known and worked with. Collaborating on this music with them has challenged my own skills and made me a better musician. The music on the album is a collection that piano player Todd Selby wrote on his own as well as with best friend and drummer Alex Terruso, after previous stints in a band called the Claques. Entering college, the band, and the friendship, crumbled over petty issues. But alas, reconciliation achieved, the duo returned to song writing and decided to expand their field of creative input and invited the remarkably talented bassist, Steve Conroy, and myself on guitar, before entering the studio to cut their debut album under the new name, Parple.

The band, as a stroke of fortune, all happens to live in New York City after meeting in high school in South Jersey, and as such looks forward to playing shows there once the album is released. It is my great privilege to introduce the first sample of the album, "But There Will Be Free T-Shirts," available now on the Facebook page.

Also, coming soon, the new website, parple.net

Robert Randolph and the Family Band prove that dueling slide solos are the coolest thing ever.

Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeroes. A must see if ever in your area.

"Breathe chicken breathe... Chickens don't get no life after death" -the Felice Brothers rocking the accordian

Whiskey in my Whiskey:

Day two of the festival: Diane Birch stole my heart.

Live blogging from the XPN festival. Grace Potter and the Nocturnals are cooking with every band member on drums...

Seven Bottles of Light in a Stone Box

Ever since his lecture at Pratt Institute in February of this year, I've been fascinated by architect Steven Holl. Coincidentally, he designed the recently completed connection of Higgins Hall Center, part of Pratt's School of Architecture.

Holl is not one of these modern architects who finds a need to rationalize architecture through modern technology. I acknowledge my naiveté in this field, but all of these architects like Brett Steele (chair of the Architectural Association in London) that look to the internet and the massive interconnected networks of the 21st century as some sort of basis for the future of architecture drive me crazy. It is not even a case of the human element being lost in this process, for it isn't even there to begin with. There is not attention to or care for form, and is that not where all architecture is "doomed" to end up, intentional or not? Yet an overarching notion is that none of these projects are intended to even be completed. This architecture that lacks a human purpose and element disturbs me, despite its intentional efforts as experimentation.

But Steven Holl is different. He is an artist-- but an artist in a way that is very much architecturally minded. He paints, but painting is not separate from architecture for him. His projects reflect this artistic approach, as they play with forms and are routed in concepts based on human interaction and physical realities. If there were any overarching guide to his architecture, it would be the constant play of light. Many architects speak of the prominent importance of light in architecture, yet Holl is more deliberate and successful in its use and exploitation than any other I have studied. Case in point is his project at the Seattle University, the Jesuit Chapel. It is without a doubt my favorite piece of architecture of modern times.

The Chapel of St. Ignatius is based on a very simple concept-- "seven bottles of light in a stone box." This water color painting became the concept and basis for the entire project:

These bottles of light function as both beacons of light in seven directions at night, as well as nets which capture multiple types and colors of light throughout the day. The entire project surrounds Jesuit principles of spirituality. As such, the multiple sources of light emphasize the Jesuit idea that "different methods [of spiritual exercises] helped different people" (Steven Holl).

A further play of light is that although light is admitted from all directions, there are no views out. The enclosed space creates an incredibly meditative experience as the shifting light and colors (created from colored baffles behind each "bottle") change throughout the day.

This piece of architecture is intimately connected and geared to the human experience of space. Its concept is a concept of form, and its program is derived from its intent and human flow through space. Similarly, the implementation and usage of light is derived from its purpose and inhabitants. This project, to me, is the essence of what a modern architectural project should be. Perhaps it is an age-old idea for architecture; yet I believe it has the ability to be, and is in fact only effective when, molded and shaped for its contemporary context.

Quotes and images from www.stevenholl.com