Brooklyn Fire Proof News
Pitchfork Media: John Darnielle, David Berman, Jason Molina Get Arty (preview)

posted November 17, 2005

John Darnielle, David Berman, Jason Molina Get Arty
David Nadelle and Amy Phillips report:
Indie rockers are gettin’ all interdisciplinary lately, working with filmmakers and modern dance troupes, and now, showing off their visual art skillz. From November 18 through December 18, the Brooklyn Fire Proof art gallery will host the “SERIES 4” exhibit, subtitled “artwork from some of today’s finest independent musicians.” Those dexterous double threats are Jason Molina of Magnolia Electric Co./Songs:Ohia, DC (David to his pals) Berman of Silver Jews, John Darnielle of the Mountain Goats, Pall Jenkins of Black Heart Procession, and Archer Prewitt of the Sea and Cake and, uh, himself.
Darnielle has contributed homemade booklets recounting the adventures of “Chavo Guerrero, Champion of the World”. On the Mountain Goats website, Darnielle describes the booklets’ creation process: “A coupla years ago I’m writing these songs that would eventually become We Shall All Be Healed, and I’m trying to fit myself inside of my younger skin, and toward this end I start messing around with magazines and scissors and construction paper, making little handmade Tijuana bibles only with less porn and more dread.” We assume he means the emotion, not the hairstyle.
Jenkins is showing off oversized Polaroids taken during the filming of The Tropics of Love, the DVD companion piece to the 2002 Black Heart Procession album Amore del Tropico. The band is reportedly working on a new record at this very moment, due sometime next year.
Prewitt is displaying original artwork from the third volume of his long-running comic, “Sof’ Boy”, and Berman is exhibiting simple ballpoint pen and paper drawings. No, he isn’t scheduled to perform at the gallery, or anywhere else, ever. Sorry.
Molina’s contribution, called “Ghost Songs”, is a collection of 400 pieces of ephemera (collages, prints, photos, drawings, lyrics, found objects) stuffed inside 12 small boxes. He was scheduled to perform at the “SERIES 4” opening night soiree, but a family emergency forced him to cancel. We hope everything’s OK!
We should be hearing a lot from Molina in the coming months. He recently wrapped up an album with Camper Van Beethoven/Cracker frontman David Lowery, and is in the beginning stages of a collaborative project with musicians from the Chicago area. (Jeff Tweedy, Sally Timms, and Danny Black are on his wishlist.) Magnolia Electric Co.’s sophomore studio album, recorded by Steve Albini, is currently in the mixing stage. And Molina will once again flex his visual art muscle, as he is working on a piece for the art gallery at Boston’s Paradise Lounge. Damn, that guy’s busy!