The Pulse 12.32 » August 6, 2015

august 6, 2015

CHATTANOOGA'S WEEKLY ALTERNATIVE

arts

music

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Contents

CHATTANOOGA'S WEEKLY ALTERNATIVE

EDITORIAL

Managing Editor Gary Poole Contributing Editor Janis Hashe

August 6, 2015 Volume 12, Issue 32

Music Editor Marc T. Michael Film Editor John DeVore Contributors Rob Brezsny • Matt Jones Mike McJunkin • Tony Mraz Ernie Paik • Rick Pimental-Habib Rachael Poe • Terry Stulce • Alex Teach Editorial Interns Ashley Coker • Shaun Webster

Features

Cartoonists Max Cannon • Rob Rogers Jen Sorenson • Tom Tomorrow

4 BEGINNINGS: “States’ rights” is just another way to justify racism and hate.

Cover Photo Piotr Lewandowski Founded 2003 by Zachary Cooper & Michael Kull

6 SHRINK RAP: Getting rid of internalized negative messages.

ADVERTISING

Director of Sales Mike Baskin Account Executives Chee Chee Brown • Randy Johnston Travis Jones • Angela Lanham Rick Leavell • Kyle Richard • Stacey Tyler

CONTACT

Offices 1305 Carter St. Chattanooga, TN 37402 Phone 423.265.9494 Website chattanoogapulse.com Email info@chattanoogapulse.com BREWER MEDIA GROUP Publisher & President Jim Brewer II THE FINE PRINT: The Pulse is published weekly by Brewer Media and is distributed throughout the city of Chattanooga and surrounding communities. The Pulse covers a broad range of topics concentrating on music, the arts, entertainment, culture and local news. The Pulse is available free of charge, limited to one copy per reader. No person without written permission from the publisher may take more than one copy per weekly issue.

The Pulse may be distributed only by authorized distributors.

Contents Copyright © 2015 by Brewer Media. All rights reserved.

8

Still Not Sparing The Rod

As summer draws to a close, parents across Hamilton County are preparing to send their children back to school—but in a school district that still allows corporal punishment, what type of environment will these students actually be a part of?

10

An Artist’s Journey Out of Darkness

When I visited Ashley Hamilton’s studio at Mercy Junction to learn about her prolific body of work and its origins, we talked as she added red paint to a series of turquoise canvasses. What she had to say makes her work even more fascinating.

14

Short, Sweet, Fast and Crunchy

Imagine the Ramones as a pop group—and Mythical Motors is the result. A bold comparison perhaps, but the four-man group’s approach to music making, “Keep it short, sweet, fast and crunchy,” has an awful lot in common with the approach of their punk forebears.

12 ARTS CALENDAR 16 MUSIC CALENDAR 18 REVIEWS: Expert Alterations gets snappy, Flandrew Fleisenberg gets atmospheric.

19 DIVERSIONS 20 SCREEN: Crass, misfired “Vacation” is a definite save-your-money.

22 FREE WILL ASTROLOGY 22 JONESIN’ CROSSWORD 23 on the beat: Why kids should only play with toys that look like toys.

Due to space considerations, "Sushi & Biscuits" is online at chattanoogapulse.com

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BEGINNINGS

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Op-Ed: The “Heritage” Argument Debunked “States’ rights” is just another way to justify racism and hate

“

When Republicans began to pander to racists in the South, ‘states’ rights’ was the loudest of the racist dog whistles.”

Lately we have heard a lot about “Confederate heritage.” You can almost see Scarlett and Rhett sitting on the porch of the plantation house sipping mint juleps while the happy slaves sing and dance under the live oaks. Believing this portrait requires a powerful suspension of disbelief, willful distortion of reality, and a healthy measure of ignorance.

The central reality of the Confederacy was the oppression of AfricanAmericans with 222 years of legal slavery, and it was followed by 100 years of Jim Crow terrorism and disenfranchisement. Even after civil

rights legislation was passed, the South continued to support racist oppression that was more covert, but just as pernicious.

In the interest of full disclosure: I grew up in a family that was “a house divided against itself.” My mother’s family fought for the Confederacy and my father’s family fought for the Union. One of my maternal greatgreat-grandfathers was a slave holder and a captain in the Confederate Army. Snow Hill was named for him. One of my great-grandfathers was his executive officer.

When the C o n f e d e r a te terry stulce Army came through Georgetown “recruiting,” one of my paternal great-great-grandfathers hid from them.Then he ran away and joined the Union Army. He was a private that died of pneumonia during the war. I have never felt that my personal identity or self-image was determined by either history.

The “heritage not hate” crowd would have us believe that the Civil War had nothing to do with slavery; it was all about “states’ rights.” But not-so-oddly enough, “states’ rights” has consistently been associated with the oppression of African-Americans. Freedom and equality for African-Americans have been blocked consistently by whites screaming “states’ rights” and waving the Confederate flag.

Over the 396 years of African-American oppression, whites have used “states’ rights” as camouflage, rationale, and excuse. When Republicans began to pander to racists in the South, “states’ rights” was the loudest of

Views

4 • The Pulse • august 6-12, 2015 • chattanoogapulse.com

the racist dog whistles.

Even if you blind yourself to the racism of the Confederacy, there are still more damning realities to acknowledge. The Confederacy was an insurrection against the United States of America.

When I was sworn into the U.S. Army, my oath was to “defend the Constitution against all enemies, foreign and domestic.” It was the same oath that Robert E. Lee and many of his generals took before they chose to commit treason and join a rebellion against the U.S.A. That heritage is nothing to elicit pride. There is not enough antebellum denial in the world to paint over the shame of being a traitor.

The most undeniable reality is that the South lost the Civil War. Not only did it lose the war, but it lost the battle to keep African-Americans “in their place.” Blacks withstood KKK terrorism, lynchings, cross burnings, bombings, and church burnings. They survived Jim Crow, segregation, disenfranchisement, and mass incarceration.

Southern racists have fought a losing battle since the Civil War. It’s time to surrender… and turn in your battle flags.

EdiToon

by Rob Rogers

HOME GAMES

Plant It Soon, Dig It For Fall Those of us who are not hotweather fanciers are dreaming of the not-too-distant fall.

And so are our friends at Crabtree Farms, who are offering their Fall Garden Kits even as you read this.

As they describe it: “Fall Garden Kits make it easy and more affordable to grow your own healthy plants.

Whether to provide you or your

family with delicious, home-grown fruits and veggies, or simply to beautify your backyard, these garden sets are a perfect way to extend your harvest into the fall.”

Here’s what you’ll get for $40: Plantstarts including two cabbage, two kale, four pac choi, six leeks, two Swiss chard, eight lettuce, plus seed packets for beets, radish, turnip

IN THIS ISSUE

Rachael Poe Our cover story on coporal punishment in Hamilton County schools is by Rachael Poe. A writer, photographer, and unabashed Tolkien fanatic, she recently graduated from The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga with a major in English literature and a minor in art

and spinach.

Each garden package will provide a tray of healthy and highly productive plant-starts, cultivated in Crabtree greenhouses using sustainable growing methods. Plants will fit in a 4 by 12 ft. garden bed.

Orders must be placed and paid for by Aug. 29. The kits will be available for pick up during the Fall Plant Sale at Crabtree, Sept.

12. Visit crabtreefarms.org to order the kits—and plan for your greenest fall ever!

— Janis Hashe

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Terry Stulce history. She was co-editor of the National Collegiate Honors Council monograph entitled “Housing Honors” and a copyeditor for The Heroic Age, an academic journal about early medieval Northwestern Europe. In her spare time, she volunteers with UTC’s Women’s Action Council and listens to film scores. Oh, and she once accidentally attended a Spanish wedding in Seville.

But that’s a different story.

Our "Op-Ed" column this week is written by regular contributor Terry Stulce. A native Tennessean, Terry was born in Birchwood and raised on a farm in Ooltewah. He graduated from Ooltewah High in 1963. His senior year he was P\president of the student

council and captain and MVP of the football team. He attended the University of Tennessee on an ROTC scholarship and graduated magna cum laude in 1967. He was inducted into the Phi Kappa Phi and Phi Beta Kappa honor societies. He served two combat tours in Vietnam, one with the 101st Airborne and one with the 69th Border Rangers.

He was an LCSW and owner of Cleveland Family Counseling before retirement in 2009. chattanoogapulse.com • august 6-12 • The Pulse • 5

Whose “Right and Wrong” Are We Talking About?

Getting rid of internalized negative messages helps to make changes to your life

“

Maybe it’s not about someone else’s rules, but about our own ability to turn inward, meditate/ pray/ponder on what constitutes our ‘highest self,’ and do the best we can.”

Dr. Rick Pimental-Habib, Ph.D., is a psychotherapist, author, minister, and educator in private practice in Chattanooga.

Contact him at DrRPH.com, visit his wellness center at WellNestChattanooga. com and follow his daily inspirations on Twitter: @DrRickWellNest

fulfilling prophesy guides Over the years I’ve worked them to do exactly what with many folks who, unthey’ve internalized: make fortunately, were raised poor decisions, always get with a damaging version of it “wrong,” “right” and fail and fail “wrong.” again.

Their wellWho is the meaning one to say if parents (or DR. RICK this or that whichever PIMENTAL-HABIB is the “right authority figthing” to do? The right ure) would impose unrealisthing for whom, and under tically high expectations, or what conditions? Is what’s simply not know that posiright for me also right for tive reinforcement works you—and vice-versa? And infinitely better—and creare the right things learned ates higher self-esteem— in childhood the same than negative reinforcethings that qualify as right ment. in adulthood?

A typical example is the Many, of course, find their kid who earns a great school moral blueprint in religious report, but does poorly in, or spiritual teachings. Some say, one subject. And that’s find guidance from their the subject that gets all Higher Power in programs the (negative) parental atlike AA. And we are living tention. Common refrains in the Bible Belt...need I in this household might go say more? While certain something like: Let me do it, religious beliefs may work you won’t get it right. Can’t you for some, when it comes to be more like (fill in the blank). a personal moral code, peoWhy do you always have to be ple have to use what works like that/say those things/make for them, what has intrinsic poor decisions? Can’t you do meaning and significance anything right?? to them. Otherwise, it’s You get the idea. With that hollow; it doesn’t fit or feel kind of dialogue rumbling right. around in a person’s head, Most rights and wrongs he/she will inevitably begin are pretty much common to live up to (or down to) sense, aren’t they? If somethose messages. Their self-

6 • The Pulse • august 6-12, 2015 • chattanoogapulse.com

Shrink Rap

one is hurt, help out. If someone drops their bag of groceries, help out. If a friend is in crisis, help out.

I came across an interesting talk by author and motivational speaker Kimberly Alyn. It’s called “Up Time,” and offers solid, helpful reminders about personal responsibility. I want to share with you an excerpt from her talk.

No matter what your inspirational source of right and wrong might be, I think you’ll find the following contains useful wisdom and plenty of common sense.

See if they ring true for you.

1. If you see injustice, stand up.

2. If you make a mistake, fess up.

3. If you’re overstepping, back up.

4. If they knock you down, get up.

5. When the fight is over, make up.

6. If your heart is closed, open up.

7. If you make a mess, clean it up.

8. If people fall down, help them up.

9. If your words are vulgar, clam it up.

10. If your words encourage, keep it up.

11. If you made a promise, back it up.

12. When life’s boring, shake it up.

13. When life’s good, soak it up.

14. When life’s unfair, suck it up.

15. When life’s funny, yuck it up.

I suggest that finding, or creating, one’s own personal moral compass isn’t that difficult once we give ourselves permission to do it our own way. Maybe it’s not about someone else’s rules, but about our own ability to turn inward, meditate/pray/ ponder on what constitutes our “highest self,” and do the best we can. Without guilt for our choices or the stumblings along the way.

Until next time, from Thich Nhat Hanh’s The Energy of Prayer: “We don’t have to go anywhere to obtain the truth. We only need to be still and things will reveal themselves in the still water of our heart.”

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COVER STORY

Still Not Sparing The Rod Hamilton County schools continue to allow ‘paddling.’ Why?

By Rachael Poe

A

s summer draws to a close, parents across Hamilton County are preparing to send their children back to school—but in a school district that still allows corporal punishment, what type of environment will these students actually be a part of?

The use of corporal punishment—commonly known as paddling—in public schools is illegal in 31 states. The 19 holdouts are concentrated in the South, and, with the exception of Virginia, all of Tennessee’s neighboring states still allow corporal punishment.

According to Tennessee Code Annotated 49-6-4103, “Any teacher or school principal may use corporal punishment in a reasonable manner against any pupil for good cause in order to maintain discipline and order within the public schools.” In Tennessee, however, Hamilton County is the only large district to still allow physical discipline in the school system, and policy can vary depending upon the school.

The Hamilton County Student Code of Acceptable Behavior and Discipline states, “Corporal punishment is defined as physical discipline.

Corporal punishment must be approved as policy for the school by the principal, and students must be notified what misconduct could result in this type of discipline. It is not intended to be used as a first method of discipline, but after several other methods have been used to modify a student’s behavior. Corporal punishment must be witnessed by a second school official or teacher. A parent can then request a written explanation of the reasons for the punishment and the name of the witness.”

This brief paragraph is the only statement concerning corporal punishment that appears in the Student Code. Meanwhile, Hamilton County’s school suspension procedures take up nearly half of the pamphlet. It’s worthy of note that a form of physical punishment apparently warrants less explanation and discussion than the school system’s

equivalent of a time-out.

Not every school in the Hamilton County system utilizes corporal punishment. As the above corporal punishment procedure states, it “must be approved as policy for the school by the principal.”

opportunity.

The most recent statistics available from the OCR indicate that in 2011, corporal punishment was practiced in nine Hamilton County schools: Brainerd High School; Calvin Donaldson Environmental Science Academy; Daisy Elementary; Hillcrest Elementary; Lakeside Academy of Math, Science, and Technology; Nolan Elementary; Ooltewah Elementary; Woodmore Elementary; and Washington Alternative School.

When reporting statistics about corporal punishment, the OCR divides the student population into two groups: students with disabilities and students without disabilities. In 2011, 74 students without disabilities in Hamilton County schools received corporal punishment. Of those students, 84 percent were male and 65 percent were black. Additionally, 11 students with disabilities received corporal punishment. Of those students, 82 percent were male and 36 percent were black.

This makes for a total of 85 students who received corporal punishment in Hamilton County schools in 2011.

These statistics reflect points made by corporal punishment opponents across the country: Male students are more likely than female students to receive corporal punishment, and black students are more likely than white students to receive corporal punishment. Moreover, on the national scale, poor children and children with disabilities are more likely to receive corporal punishment than their peers.

“Male students are more likely than female students to receive corporal punishment, and black students are more likely than white students to receive corporal punishment.”

8 • The Pulse • august 6-12, 2015 • chattanoogapulse.com

According to David Testerman, Hamilton County School Board member representing District 8 and a former school principal, “Schools are not encouraged to use corporal punishment. And, in my view, children should not be disciplined outside of the parents’ knowledge.” However, he notes that certain disciplinary actions that involved physical activity, such as being asked to clean up a bathroom that the child has trashed, can mistakenly be recorded as corporal punishment.

How many schools in Hamilton County actually employ corporal punishment? The answer is not exactly clear. Even where paddling is allowed, it can be used sporadically or not at all. For hard answers about corporal punishment in Hamilton County, one has to look farther afield.

Since 1968, the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Civil Rights (OCR) has collected data on key education and civil rights issues in our nation’s public schools. The OCR uses this data to enforce and monitor efforts regarding equal educational

Voices for and against Despite the uneven socioeconomic distribution of paddling, some view physical punishment as a justifiable and necessary form of punishment.

Those who have grown up in the Bible Belt have probably heard the phrase “spare the rod, spoil the child” before; it is a common mentality regarding child-rearing in the South. (The saying comes from Proverbs 13:24, which reads, “Whoever spares the

rod hates their children, but the one who loves their children is careful to discipline them.”)

Proponents of corporal punishment often depend on this philosophy and anecdotal evidence to support the physical punishment of children. “My father spanked me, and I turned out all right,” is often heard.

David Nixon, principal of John C. Calhoun Elementary in Calhoun Hills, South Carolina, and a supporter of corporal punishment in schools, was quoted in an article by Eric Adelson in Newsweek saying that “as soon as the student has been punished he can go back to his class and continue learning, in contrast to out-of-school suspension, which removes him from the educational process and gives him a free ‘holiday.’”

According to the conservative Family Research Council, “while loving and effective discipline is quite definitely not harsh and abusive, neither is it weak and ineffectual. Indeed, disciplinary spanking can fall well within the boundaries of loving discipline and need not be labeled abusive violence.”

Yet a study reported by Christie Nicholson in Scientific American concluded, “Those parents who approve of corporal punishment contend that they only spank as a last resort, do it only for serious misbehavior and only when they are calm. But the recordings often revealed the opposite. Parents seemed angry when striking their child, they did it reactively and for minor transgressions… Parents who said they supported corporal punishment did it often and with little provocation.”

Some see both sides of the issue.

Wayne S. Brown, a mentor at Woodmore School, resident of the area, and a community activist states, “Corporal punishment is an old debate. Both sides use statistics and testimonies to prove their case. Therefore the debate will continue probably into the next millennium.

“Fortunately, corporal punishment is a choice. Parents can opt out if they disagree. As a volunteer at Woodmore Elementary, I know parents who agree and some who disagree. How a child is disciplined is a parent’s responsibility.

Perhaps ensuring parents are equipped

with knowledge on the many methods of discipline may enable more positive outcomes outcomes than debating on the yea or nay of corporal punishment.”

What’s the future of corporal punishment?

Adhering to child-rearing maxims of the past is not a guarantee of success in the present, and those who ascribe to a “spare the rod, spoil the child” mentality can overlook the fact that paddling is by no means the only form of discipline. Moreover, it is certainly not proven to be the most effective. Most child-rearing experts agree that corporal punishment does not teach children alternative behaviors to replace an undesirable behavior; rather, it teaches them to be sneaky in order to avoid punishment.

According to the U.S. Advisory Board on Child Abuse and Neglect, “The use of corporal punishment in schools is intrinsically related to child maltreatment.

It contributes to a climate of violence, it implies that society approves of the physical violation of children, [and] it establishes an unhealthy norm...

Its outright abolition throughout the nation must occur immediately.”

Many childcare experts believe that paddling teaches children to obey authority figures out of fear, not respect, these experts conclude,

eliciting feelings of distress, anger, and shame.

They object that physical punishment also teaches children that violence is a way to solve problems and reinforces aggression as an acceptable means of eliminating unwanted behavior. Through corporal punishment, they believe, adults teach children that those who are bigger and stronger can use physical coercion to impose their will on those who are smaller and vulnerable.

Hamilton County’s use of corporal punishment is just a drop in the national bucket. According to the OCR, Tennessee is among the top five states for corporal punishment in schools, ranking behind only Mississippi, Texas, Alabama, and Arkansas. In 2009, 16,645 students in the state of Tennessee were paddled—and 2,285 of those children had disabilities.

Efforts to ban corporal punishment at the state and national level have made little progress because many people simply do not realize that paddling is still allowed, much less practiced, and it is difficult to pass corporal punishment legislation without public support.

On the national level, recently retired U.S. Representative Carolyn McCarthy fought to ban corporal punishment nationwide for the past five years without success.

Now that she has retired, it is unclear

if another representative will take up the cause.

In Tennessee, the most recent bill that dealt with the issue was House Bill 0689 (HB 0689/SB 0664), aimed at prohibiting corporal punishment in public schools by amending Titles 37, 39, and 49 of the Tennessee Code Annotated.

You probably did not hear about HB 0689 on the news; it certainly did not make any headlines when it was introduced or when it failed to pass.

In February of this year, Tennessee Representative Jason Powell introduced the bill, and it was assigned to the Education Administration and Planning Subcommittee. After idling there for more than a month, it failed to pass or even provoke discussion, so it lived and died quietly in the Tennessee House of Representatives within the span of a few weeks.

This, however, does not mean that change is not coming. The National Parent Teacher Association (PTA) has issued a position statement regarding corporal punishment, proclaiming, “National PTA will support efforts to abolish corporal punishment and efforts to develop alternative discipline programs to provide an orderly climate for learning.”

Said David Testerman, “Corporal punishment could disappear in a short period of time. It could happen this year. Those who believe it should disappear should contact their representatives in Nashville. They will do what is prudent for the times.”

Local Government Contact Information • City Mayor and City Council: chattanooga.gov • County Mayor and County Commission: hamiltontn.gov • Hamilton County Department of Education: hcde.org • Tennessee State Board of Education: tn.gov/sbe PTA Contact Information • Hamilton County PTA: hcptacouncil.org • Tennessee PTA: tnpta.org • National PTA: pta.org

chattanoogapulse.com • august 6-12 • The Pulse • 9

ARTS SCENE

An Artist’s Journey Out of Darkness Ashley Hamilton’s work reflects her personal history and progress

W

Framed Up On Frazier AVA All-Member Salon Show gives the big picture Businesses come and go. So do fads in art. But good businesses and good art—well, that’s another easel altogether. For more than 25 years, The Association For Visual Arts studio has been showcasing the work of emerging and professional artists in the Chattanooga area.

On display from August 7-28 is AVA’s annual All-Member Show.

Over 40 pieces of original non-juried artwork will be on view. It’s a chance for guests to get a real insight into the inspirations and the different perspectives of the entire AVA community.

This isn’t your typical gallery display, however. Artwork will not be sectioned off, given its little spe-

cial space, and spoon-fed attention.

Instead, guests may have to crane their necks a little to scan through the collection as all pieces will be gathered together and hung from the floor to the ceiling in true, oldstyle salon fashion.

The opening reception will take place at the studio on Friday, August 7 at 5:30 p.m. Admission is free.

— Shaun Webster All-Members Salon Show Opening Reception 5:30 p.m.

Association for Visual Arts 30 Frazier Ave. (423) 265-4282 avarts.org

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Chattanooga's oldest co-op art gallery kicks of their latest showing with a reception open to all art lovers in the city.

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In-Town Gallery 26A Frazier Ave. (423) 267-9214 intowngallery.com

The Artful Yoga folks take their popular event to Warehouse Row for a special event to help get you (and keep you) in shape.

1:30 p.m.

Warehouse Row 1110 Market St. (423) 267-0968 huntermuseum.org

10 • The Pulse • august 6-12, 2015 • chattanoogapulse.com

hen I visited Ashley Hamilton’s studio at Mercy Junction to learn about her prolific body of work and its origins, we talked as she added red paint to a series of turquoise canvasses. What she had to say makes her work even more fascinating.

Arts tony mraz

“

I’ve always been fascinated with street art, but what I’m more interested in is the defacing, the covering up, the ripping apart.”

The Pulse: What are your earliest memories of making art?

Ashley Hamilton: I’ve always been completely infatuated with drawing and painting. It was the only time I truly felt at ease—in my own little world. I remember especially being drawn to abstraction, and at a young age I’d make sculptural paintings by using a whole paint tube to make thick marks that came off the canvas. I also have memories of making abstract sculptures out of straws.

TP: What do you think about when painting?

AH: I go into this subconscious state where I am both here and not here. My mind runs a million miles per hour when I am painting, yet I have no clear thoughts in the process; it’s just a continuous series of reactions. However, there are conceptual themes that run through my practice, and they are always somewhere in my thoughts.

Conceptually, my work is rooted in Lacanian psychoanalysis—specifically theories regarding the phenomenon of “repetition compulsion,” “death drive,” and various theories of semiotics. My work is derived from the intrinsically human struggle of understanding “self.”

I attempt to understand “self” by first understanding the world around me. I turn towards the street and traumatic times in my life as aesthetic source material. While painting, my mind filters through all these things: critical theory, looking inward, and the streets.

TP: What materials and processes do you use?

AH: I mainly use acrylic, spray paint, charcoal, and collage. My process always starts with walking along the streets to find what I call “traces of humanity.”

Peeling paint on building walls. A covered up sign, questioning its own existence. Fragmented objects. Failed attempts. Suspended signification.

Questionable origin. I’ve always been fascinated with street art, but what I’m more interested in is the defacing, the covering up, the ripping apart.

My process sort of sublimates the street by simulating its process; I paste grid paper to the canvas and continuously cover it up and rip it apart, leaving traces of each layer along the way.

Any text that may be in my work is from old journals, but is hardly ever able to be read.

TP: What do the vertical marks represent?

AH: The repetitive vertical marks in my work originated from my personal journey through addiction: in this case, my addiction to self-harm. When I was first trying to stop, I’d make these marks to fill a huge wall in my studio as a distraction and a way to refrain from cutting. It allows me to have that obsessive repetitive motion without being selfdestructive.

I suppose it was a way of processing the trauma during those darkest times, but now they are part of my history and I still use the marks in my recovery process. Most people would probably never know the semiotics of my work unless

they knew me personally. I like the idea of people thinking about them as simply a design, or counting numbers while incarcerated, or even a repetitive “I”.

TP: How has recovery affected your work?

AH: It has been quite the journey.

While in active addiction, my life was completely chaotic and unmanageable.

I was severely suicidal, and it showed in my old work. It was mainly black and white with very little hints of dull color—and, of course, those repetitive red marks. Any legible text was haunting.

I remember one gallery owner jokingly told me he’d have to hire a therapist for people who come see my solo show. Through recovery, my work has changed significantly. It’s starting to become much more playful and colorful, with just little hints of the past.

TP: Any observations about the art scene in Chattanooga?

AH: I’m a graduate of the UTC art program, which is a gem with some of the most outstanding professors I’ve ever met; there are some really great artists coming out of that program! My only wish is that there were more affordable studio spaces in town and more galleries that show challenging work.

TP: Any advice for other artists?

AH: Say yes to every opportunity!

Look at other artists. Talk to other artists. Think critically. And keep making work, no matter what!

See more of Ashley’s art at ashleyhamiltonart.com or at AVA’s Gallery Hop on Sept. 12. To arrange a studio visit, email her at ashleyhamiltonart@gmail.com

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chattanoogapulse.com • august 6-12 • The Pulse • 11

ARTS CALENDAR thursday8.6

SATURDAY, AUGUST 15TH Bring your tripod on this special evening tour!

Check-in at 7pm, Tour Begins at 7:30pm

Reservations required:

RubyFalls.com/foto 423.821.2544

SUMMER SPECIAL Tower ZIP Ride

Round Trip ZIP! $

29.95!

423.821.2544

RubyFallsZIP.com

Aquarium Adventures: The Quest for Colors 9:30 a.m.

Tennessee Aquarium 1 Broad St. (423) 267-3474 tnaqua.org Thomas & Friends: “Explore the Rails” Exhibit 10 a.m.

Creative Discovery Museum 321 Chestnut St. (423) 756-2738 cdmfun.org Homeschool Science Club 1 p.m.

Creative Discovery Museum 321 Chestnut St. (423) 756-2738 cdmfun.org Ooltewah Farmers Market 3 p.m.

Ooltewah Nursery & Landscape Co. 5829 Main St. (423) 238-9775 ooltewahnursery.com “Craft & Crop” 6 p.m.

Heritage House 1428 Jenkins Rd. (423) 855-9474 chattanooga.gov Jazzanooga Presents: “What Happened, Miss Simone?”

6 p.m. green|spaces 63 E. Main St. (423) 648-0963 jazzanooga.org “Big, Loud, And Live 12”

12 • The Pulse • august 6-12, 2015 • chattanoogapulse.com RFZIPFoto.375x9.8.indd 1

7/31/15 2:45 PM

"Fat Shirley's: A Trailer Park Opera 6:30 p.m.

East Ridge 18 5080 South Terrace (423) 855-9652 carmike.com “Fat Shirley’s: A Trailer Park Opera” 7 p.m.

Mountain Arts Community Center 809 Kentucky Ave. (423) 886-1959 fatshirleys.com “Mystery of the Nightmare Office Party” 7 p.m.

Vaudeville Café 200 Market St. (423) 266-6202 funnydinner.com Alice Wetterlund 7:30 p.m.

The Comedy Catch 3224 Brainerd Rd.

Pulse Pick: Alice Wetterlund Wetterlund has performed her nonyelling brand of comedy on stages such as Comix, Broadway Comedy Club, UCB theaters, San Francisco's Punchline and The Hollywood Improv.

Alice Wetterlund The Comedy Catch 3224 Brainerd Rd. (423) 629-2233 thecomedycatch.com

(423) 629-2233 thecomedycatch.com

FRIday8.7 Opening Reception: “Outside/In-Town” 5 p.m.

In-Town Gallery 26A Frazier Ave. (423) 267-9214 intowngallery.com Salon Show Opening Reception 5:30 p.m.

Association for Visual Arts 30 Frazier Ave. (423) 265-4282 avarts.org Opening Reception: Amanda Brazier & Kelly Jan Ohl 6:30 p.m.

River Gallery 400 E. Second St. (423) 265-5033 river-gallery.com “Fat Shirley’s: A Trailer Park Opera” 7 p.m.

Mountain Arts Community Center 809 Kentucky Ave. (423) 886-1959 fatshirleys.com “Mystery of Flight 138” 7 p.m.

Vaudeville Café 200 Market St. (423) 266-6202 funnydinner.com colonnadecenter.org Chattanooga Lookouts vs. Mobile BayBears 7:15 p.m.

AT&T Field 201 Power Alley (423) 267-4849 lookouts.com “And Then There Were None” 7:30 p.m.

Go Georgia Arts Studio 7787 Nashville St., Ringgold (770) 380-0420 facebook.com/gogeorgiaarts Alice Wetterlund 7:30, 9:45 p.m.

The Comedy Catch 3224 Brainerd Rd. (423) 629-2233 thecomedycatch.com The Floor Is YOURS Barking Legs Theater.

1307 Dodds Ave. (423) 624-5347 barkinglegs.org

ARTS CALENDAR

Jaguar Day at the Chattanooga Zoo

sATURday8.8 Chattanooga River Market 10 a.m.

Tennessee Aquarium 1 Broad St. (423) 267-3474 chattanoogarivermarket.com Cool Down Chatt Town 10 a.m.

Highland Park Commons 2080 Union St. (423) 648-0963 greenspaceschattanooga.com Jaguar Day 10 p.m.

Chattanooga Zoo 301 N. Holtzclaw Ave. (423) 697-1319 chattzoo.org Artful Yoga on the Row 1:30 p.m.

Warehouse Row 1110 Market St. (423) 267-0968 huntermuseum.org “International Dota 2 Championship” 5 p.m.

East Ridge 18 5080 S. Terrace (423) 855-9652 carmike.com “Fat Shirley’s: A Trailer Park Opera” 7 p.m.

Mountain Arts Community Center 809 Kentucky Ave. (423) 886-1959 fatshirleys.com Chattanooga Sings For Hope 3:45 p.m.

ICCM Miracle Theater 6425 Lee Hwy. (423) 333-0490 chattanoogasingsforhope.com Station Street Sip & Savor 5 p.m.

Chattanooga Choo Choo 1400 Market St. (800) 872-2529 stationstreetsipandsavor.com “Sharknado” 7 p.m.

IMAX 3D Theater 201 Chestnut St. (423) 266-4629 tnaqua.org/imax Chattanooga Lookouts vs. Mobile BayBears 7:15 p.m.

AT&T Field 201 Power Alley (423) 267-4849 lookouts.com Alice Wetterlund 7:30, 9:45 p.m.

The Comedy Catch 3224 Brainerd Rd. (423) 629-2233 thecomedycatch.com

SUnday8.9 Chattanooga Market: Five Star Food Fight 11 a.m.

First Tennessee Pavilion 1826 Reggie White Blvd.

(423) 266-4041 chattanoogamarket.com Open Dance Night 2 p.m.

Chattanooga Dance Theatre 5151 Austin Rd.

(423) 760-8808 chattanoogadancetheatre.com Chattanooga Lookouts vs. Mobile BayBears 2:15 p.m.

AT&T Field 201 Power Alley (423) 267-4849 lookouts.com Alice Wetterlund 7:30, 9:45 p.m.

The Comedy Catch 3224 Brainerd Rd. (423) 629-2233 thecomedycatch.com

MONday8.10 Learn to Ride a Bicycle 6 p.m.

Outdoor Chattanooga 200 River St. (423) 643-6888 outdoorchattanooga.com Vintage Swing Dance 7 p.m.

Clear Spring Yoga 17 N. Market St. (931) 982-1678 clearspringyoga.com Chattanooga Lookouts vs. Mobile BayBears 7:15 p.m.

AT&T Field 201 Power Alley (423) 267-4849 lookouts.com Good Old-Fashioned Improv Show 8 p.m.

Barking Legs Theater 1307 Dodds Ave.

Presents

EVERY Friday, Saturday & Sunday until Labor Day!

Music F o od

Fun

For the Whole Family !

(423) 624-5347 barkinglegs.org

TUEsday8.11 Chattamovies Meetup 6 p.m.

Downtown Public Library 1001 Broad St. (423) 757-5310 chattlibrary.org Chattanooga Lookouts vs. Mobile BayBears 7:15 p.m.

AT&T Field 201 Power Alley (423) 267-4849 lookouts.com

wednesday8.12 Middle East Dance 10:30 a.m.

Jewish Cultural Center 5461 N. Terrace (423) 493-0270 jewishchattanooga.com Main Street Farmers Market 4 p.m.

325 E. Main St. mainstfarmersmarket.com Wednesday Night Chess Club 6 p.m.

Downtown Public Library 1001 Broad St. (423) 757-5310 chattlibrary.org Map these locations on chattanoogapulse.com. Send event listings at least 10 days in advance to: calendar@chattanoogapulse.com

Taylor Kress

Tarryn Aimée Smith

Fridays 11am - 7pm

Saturdays 11am - 7pm

HIGHBEAMS Sundays 11am - 7pm

Old Time Travelers

Fridays, Saturdays & Sundays 9am - 3pm

Join us for old time, blue grass, and country music with a Seven States view during Summer Music Weekends. Come enjoy a summer day at Rock City Gardens, dine at Café 7, and catch a Rock City Raptor Show!

Community Partner:

Brews. Views. Chews. 11a-4p Daily Bar Open till 7pm on Fri, Sat & Sun.

For more info call: 706.820.2531

chattanoogapulse.com • august 6-12 • The Pulse • 13 RCsummerMusicBar.375x9.8.indd 1

7/23/15 9:40 AM

MUSIC SCENE

Short, Sweet, Fast and Crunchy Mythical Motors’ new album will be shown off at JJ’s Bohemia

Merging Rap And Small Town Pride Upchurch the Redneck plays Rhythm & Brews August 6 As more and more country music stars dabble in the sounds of rap and hip hop, breakout sensation Upchurch The Redneck jumped straight in.

Brimming with Southern pride and comprised of lyrics you would only expect to find slowed down and showcased on a standard country album, Upchurch’s first release, “Cheatham County,” is shocking.

It’s also a hit.

Ryan Upchurch, a 24-year-old from Middle Tennessee, first made his debut in 2014 through lighthearted, funny videos in which he portrayed Upchurch the Redneck. He posted the videos to social media, and the response was incredible. One short year later, Upchurch has released a successful album, crafted a clothing line and is scheduled to appear on a

sitcom next year.

He may be a true overnight success, but it looks like Upchurch’s fame is going to last a lot longer than 15 minutes. He’s answered the call from a niche group of music listeners: Southerners with a lot of hometown pride and a lot of dislike for the sounds of “typical country music.”

If you’re bored with today’s country music scene, you’re a hip hop fan with a redneck side or you’re looking to hear something new, Upchurch may be just what you need.

— Ashley Coker Upchurch The Redneck Thursday, 9:30 p.m.

Rhythm & Brews 221 Market St. rhythm-brews.com

thu8.6

fri8.7

SAT8.8

wolf pack

no coyotes

whiskey time

Pack of Wolves

The Roadrunners

The Whiskey Gentry

Howl at the moon in the dog days of August tonight with the music of Pack of Wolves.

6 p.m.

Hunter Museum of Art 10 Bluff View huntermuseum.org

Wile E. Coyote, Supergenius, could only hope to catch up with this fast band. Beep beep!

9 p.m.

The Office @ City Cafe 901 Carter St. citycafemenu.com

In an alternate universe, Dolly Parton joins X in 1979 and punk-spiked country sweeps the nation.

7 p.m.

Ross's Landing riverfrontnights.com

14 • The Pulse • august 6-12, 2015 • chattanoogapulse.com

I

magine the Ramones as a pop group—and Mythical Motors is the result. A bold comparison perhaps, but the four-man group’s approach to music making, “Keep it short, sweet, fast and crunchy,” has an awful lot in common with the approach of their punk forebears.

Music marc t. michael

“

It’s not an approach that would work for everyone, but for Mythical Motors, the result is a collection of catchy, uptempo tunes that are just long enough to leave you wanting more.”

Of the 16 tracks from their latest album, Long Live High Energy, 10 come in under the two-minute mark. It’s not an approach that would work for everyone, but for Mythical Motors, the result is a collection of catchy, up-tempo tunes that are just long enough to leave you wanting more.

Long Live High Energy is scheduled for release on Saturday, Aug. 15 at JJ’s Bohemia. This will be the band’s third album in the last 15 months, marking them as one of the more prolific recording acts in the area. Any debate on quality over quantity is quickly laid to rest with one listen, as the band’s commitment to solid writing and production is second to none.

The level of musicianship and lyrical craftsmanship would be impressive in any context, but when you take into consideration the sheer volume of work and the rapidity with which is written, rehearsed and recorded, Mythical Motors is a phenom.

In what I believe is becoming a part of Mythical Motors signature sound, most of the tunes on this album feature a juxtaposition of vocals and guitar.

The vocals tend towards a light, airy, Beatles-esque quality, while the guitar is just good old grungy, garage-band guitar with a tone that 10,000 would-be guitar heroes would kill to have.

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It’s an earth-and-sky dichotomy between ethereal words and worldly power chords.

Plainly put, it wouldn’t work for everybody, but Mythical Motors has mastered the technique and uses it to great effect.

The self-described “power pop” quartet has been referred to by one particularly stunning reviewer as “too pretty for punk, too punk for pop.” Another good way to put it is “fast and dirty,” so it’s mildly ironic that my personal favorite track from this new collection is “Royal Dreams Take Wing,” a song that flies in the face of what we think we know about the band. A rare acoustic number, the song is soothing and dreamy, more akin to the psychedelic movement than the proto-punk and pop roots of the band.

As such, it is a nice touch that illustrates a whole other facet of Mythical Motors. Like an exotic spice, is probably best if used sparingly, but a sprinkle here and there among the faster and more furious tunes enhances the overall flavor of the album.

At the official release party, Mythical Motors will be joined by the Vamptones from Murfreesboro as well as Hogpig (this will be their first show in several years). In the meantime, you can sample this latest entry from Mythical Motors at their bandcamp page. Congratulations are also in order for band member Matthew Addison, who just recently became a proud papa for the first time (though one wonders where he found the time given the band’s work ethic).

Well done, Matt, and well done, Mythical Motors.

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Scarlet Love Conspiracy, Wolfhounds Hit the Clubs There are two “can’t-miss” shows this week. The first is Friday, after Nightfall, when The Scarlet Love Conspiracy will be joined by Caney Village and Blues Frog and the Georgia Rhythm Crickets at JJ’s Bohemia.

Local favorites TSLC are well known for their straightforward rock-and-roll, while Caney Village has been described as Southern alt-folk. Blues Frog and the Georgia Rhythm Crickets will round out the night with their version of Southern Fried Hippie Rock.

Show number two is Sunday at the Honest

ldandDianmo

Pint, when The Wolfhounds, Chattanooga’s newest Irish pub band, will take the stage for their first solo gig. The Wolfhounds (Christopher Armstrong and Brian Davis) play a wide variety of high-energy Irish tunes, ranging from the Clancy Brothers to the Pogues and everything in-between.

The boys are part of the Honest Pint’s new rotating lineup of Sunday night Celtic music, including The Secret Commonwealth, Celtic Keg Stand and The Molly Maguires. The show starts at 7 p.m. and there is no cover charge. — MTM

Chattanooga’s Greatest Hits brewer media everywhere. every day.

chattanoogapulse.com • august 6-12 • The Pulse • 15

LIVE MUSIC AUGUST

6 FRI DEPARTURE 10p 7 VELCRO PYGMIES SAT 10p 8 THU CBDB 9p 13 MKTO and KARMIN FRI 5p 14 BREAKFAST CLUB FRI 10p 14 SAT DANK 10p 15 REDNECK UPCHURCH THE

THU RAISE HELL AND EAT CORNBREAD! 9:30p

with THE MATT STEPHENS PROJECT

BACK TO ROCK YOUR WORLD! with MARADEEN

MUSIC CALENDAR

CHATTANOOGA

Dark Horse Ten

with MARADEEN

SPECIAL EARLY EVENING SHOW ALL THE HITS OF THE 80'S! with DOWNRIGHT

8.20 WICK IT THE INSTIGATOR 8.21 THE COMMUNICATORS PRESENT: THAT 90'S SHOW

COMING SOON

SMOOTH DIALECTS FROM JAM TO JAZZ AND FUNK

SAT 9p

29

DAVE MATTHEWS TRIBUTE BAND FRI 10p ALL DAVE, ALL NIGHT

4

ALL SHOWS 21+ UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED • NON-SMOKING VENUE

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thursday8.6 All American Summer: Pack of Wolves 6 p.m.

Hunter Museum of Art 10 Bluff View huntermuseum.org James Crumble Trio 6 p.m.

St. John’s Meeting Place 1278 Market St. stjohnsrestaurant.com Jimmy Harris 7 p.m.

The Coconut Room 6925 Shallowford Rd. thepalmsathamilton.com Jesse James & Tim Neal 7 p.m.

Mexi Wings VII 5773 Brainerd Rd. (423) 296-1073 Open Mic with Hap Henninger 9 p.m.

The Office @ City Cafe 901 Carter St. citycafemenu.com Upchurch The Redneck 9:30 p.m.

Rhythm & Brews 221 Market St. rhythm-brews.com

friday8.7 Summer Music Weekends 8:30 a.m.

Rock City 1400 Patten Rd. seerockcity.com

16 • The Pulse • august 6-12, 2015 • chattanoogapulse.com

Jason Thomas and the Mean-Eyed Cats 5 p.m.

Chattanooga Choo Choo 1400 Market St. choochoo.com Eddie Pontiac 5:30 p.m.

El Meson 2204 Hamilton Place Blvd. elmesonrestaurant.com Binji Varsossa 6 p.m.

Cancun Mexican Restaurant & Lounge 1809 Broad St. (423) 266-1461 John Lathim 7 p.m.

Miller Plaza 850 Market St. nightfallchattanooga.com Jimmy Harris 7 p.m.

Pulse Pick: David Elliott With a collection of original tunes compiled from creative chord progressions and melodic fingerpicking, David Elliott displays his own unique approach to the instrument.

David Elliott Saturday, 12:30 p.m.

Chattanooga River Market 1 Broad St. chattanoogarivermarket.com

The Coconut Room 6925 Shallowford Rd. thepalmsathamilton.com Tim Lewis 7 p.m.

El Meson 248 Northgate Park elmesonchattanooga.com American Watermelon 8 p.m.

Clyde’s On Main 122 W. Main St. clydesonmain.com David Mayfield Parade 8 p.m.

Miller Plaza 850 Market St. nightfallchattanooga.com Roughwork 8:30 p.m.

The Foundry 1201 Broad St. chattanooganhotel.com Dark Horse Ten

9 p.m.

The Camp House 149 E MLK Blvd. thecamphouse.com The Roadrunners 9 p.m.

The Office @ City Cafe 901 Carter St. citycafemenu.com The Scarlet Love Conspiracy, Bluesfrog, The Georgia Rhythm Crickets 9 p.m.

JJ’s Bohemia 231 E. MLK Blvd jjsbohemia.com Arson 10 p.m.

Bud’s Sports Bar budssportsbar.com Departure: A Tribute to Journey, Matt Stephens Project 10 p.m.

Rhythm & Brews 221 Market St. rhythm-brews.com RoshambeauX 10 p.m.

Raw 409 Market St. rawbarandgrillchatt.com

saturday8.8 Summer Music Weekends 8:30 a.m.

Rock City 1400 Patten Rd. seerockcity.com David Elliott 12:30 p.m.

Chattanooga River Market

MUSIC CALENDAR

The Whiskey Gentry 1 Broad St. chattanoogarivermarket.com Jason Thomas and the Mean-Eyed Cats 5 p.m.

Chattanooga Choo Choo 1400 Market St. choochoo.com Eddie Pontiac 5:30 p.m.

El Meson 2204 Hamilton Place Blvd. elmesonrestaurant.com Binji Varsossa 6 p.m.

Cancun Mexican Restaurant & Lounge 1809 Broad St. (423) 266-1461 The Whiskey Gentry 7 p.m.

Riverfront Nights Ross's Landing riverfrontnights.com Tim Lewis 7 p.m.

El Meson 248 Northgate Park elmesonchattanooga.com Jimmy Harris 7 p.m.

The Coconut Room 6925 Shallowford Rd. thepalmsathamilton.com Husky Burnette 8 p.m.

Sky Zoo 5709 Lee Hwy. skyzoochattanooga.com Roughwork 8:30 p.m.

The Foundry 1201 Broad St. chattanooganhotel.com

Dead Soldiers 9 p.m.

JJ’s Bohemia 231 E. MLK Blvd jjsbohemia.com Velcro Pygmies 10 p.m.

Rhythm & Brews 221 Market St. rhythm-brews.com RoshambeauX 10 p.m.

Raw 409 Market St. rawbarandgrillchatt.com Kara-Ory-Oke! 10 p.m.

The Office @ City Cafe 901 Carter St. citycafemenu.com

sunday8.9 Summer Music Weekends 8:30 a.m.

Rock City 1400 Patten Rd. seerockcity.com The Do Rights 12:30 p.m.

Chattanooga Market 1829 Carter St. chattanoogamarket.com Open Mic with Jeff Daniels 6 p.m.

Long Haul Saloon 2536 Cummings Hwy. (423) 822-9775 ForeverAtLast 6 p.m.

Cloud Springs Deli 4097 Cloud Springs Rd., Ringgold

cloudspringsdeli.com Chuckie Campbell and the Phaction 8 p.m.

JJ’s Bohemia 231 E. MLK Blvd. jjsbohemia.com

monday8.10 Monday Nite Big Band 7 p.m.

The Coconut Room 6925 Shallowford Rd. thepalmsathamilton.com Southside Casual Classics 7:30 p.m.

The Camp House 149 E. MLK Blvd. thecamphouse.com Very Open Mic 8 p.m.

The Well 1800 Rossville Blvd. # 8 wellonthesouthside.com

tuesday8.11 Troy Underwood, Ben Durham, Ben Honeycutt 6 p.m.

The Heritage House 1428 Jenkins Rd. chattanooga.gov Bill McCallie & In Cahoots 6:30 p.m.

Southern Belle Riverboat 201 Riverfront Pkwy. chattanoogariverboat.com Open Mic with Mike McDade 8 p.m.

Tremont Tavern 1203 Hixson Pike tremonttavern.com

wednesday8.12 Eddie Pontiac 5:30 p.m.

El Meson 248 Northgate Park elmesonrestaurant.com The Other Guys 6 p.m.

SpringHill Suites 495 Riverfront Pkwy.

(423) 834-9300 Jimmy Harris 7 p.m.

The Coconut Room 6925 Shallowford Rd. thepalmsathamilton.com Dan Sheffield 7:30 p.m.

Sugar’s Downtown 507 Broad St. sugarschattanooga.com Wednesday Night Jazz 8 p.m.

Barking Legs Theater 1307 Dodds Ave. barkinglegs.org Blues Night with Yattie Westfield 8 p.m.

The Office @ City Cafe 901 Carter St. citycafemenu.com

901 Carter St. Inside City Cafe (423) 634-9191

Thursday, August 6: 9pm Open Mic with Hap Henninger Friday, August 7: 9pm The Roadrunners Saturday, August 8: 10pm Kara-Ory-Oke! Tuesday, August 11: 7pm Server/Hotel Appreciation Night $5 Pitchers $2 Wells $1.50 Domestics ●

●

Wednesday, August 12: 8pm Blues Night feat. Yattie Westfield Happy Hour: Mon-Fri: 4-7pm $1 10oz drafts, $3 32oz drafts, $2 Wells, $1.50 Domestics, Free Appetizers

citycafemenu.com/the-office

Since 1982 Since 1982

Map these locations on chattanoogapulse.com. Send event listings at least 10 days in advance to: calendar@chattanoogapulse.com chattanoogapulse.com • august 6-12 • The Pulse • 17

Record Reviews

ernie paik

Jangly, Bright Indie-Pop, Found-Object Percussion Expert Alterations gets snappy, Flandrew Fleisenberg gets atmospheric

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7734 Lee Highway • McKayBooks.com Mon-Thu 9am-9pm • Fri-Sat 9am-10pm • Sun 11am-7pm

Expert Alterations Expert Alterations (Slumberland/Kanine)

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Chattanooga’s Greatest Hits

ince the British Invasion of the ’60s, listeners have noticed that often, British singers sound like they are American; linguists explain this partially by pointing out that the physical activities of singing and speaking are different, and singing can smooth out accents toward the more general, neutral American accent.

Listening to the self-titled EP from the Baltimore trio Expert Alterations without prior knowledge about the group, one might waffle between deciding that the members are Americans or British people sounding like Americans.

That’s not only due to the vocals, provided by guitarist Patrick Teal, but also the pop style, which owes more than a tip of the hat to certain mid-’80s British acts—some of which were lumped into the “C86” category, named after the influential NME compilation cassette—but without the dated recording styles that sometimes infected those recordings.

Originally issued as a self-

18 • The Pulse • august 6-12, 2015 • chattanoogapulse.com

Flandrew Fleisenberg Crash (lifeoffleisenberg.blogspot.com) released cassette last year, this 5-song EP is now available as a one-sided 12-inch record on Slumberland Records or as a digital download on Kanine Records, and what immediately grabs the listener is its snappy sense of economy, without a morsel of fat.

Its jangly, ringing guitars, bright bass lines and jittery, bustling drumbeats are precise but not perfect, and the casually drifting vocal intonation on “Midnight Garden” makes it clear that Autotune was not used here.

Like the flawless 82-second C86 opener “Velocity Girl” by Primal Scream, the first track “Venetian Blinds” seems to make a pointed statement by being less than 90 seconds long, leaving the listener to want to hear it again, immediately.

The lyrics are hard to discern with the vocals possibly low in the mix on purpose, and the final number, “Three Signs,” borrows heavily from the science fiction novel The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch by

Philip K. Dick, which ruminates if an “interesting illusion” is better than a “miserable reality.”

Perhaps it is fitting for this song, informed by classic indiepop, to reference a book that contemplates artificiality—the “three signs” being various prosthetics—but for this writer, any negative thoughts of possible appropriation are overshadowed by the group’s invigorating spark, delivered with its own voice.

F

or an unconventional percussionist like Flandrew Fleisenberg, it’s important to be distinguished in his broad field, which typically involves either the use of found objects or the use of novel techniques to play “normal” drums and percussion instruments.

Arguably there has been unconventional (if perhaps unintentional) percussion since the dawn of man, and there are numerous figures in the avant-garde from Ben Bennett to Z’EV; even theater troupes like Stomp and the Blue Man Group have brought it to mainstream audiences. What Fleisenberg has managed to do on his latest solo percussion album Crash is to impart his own musical personality in his playing in several notable, distinguished ways.

The listener can sense that he is constantly adjusting, unafraid to start with a sound technique and then tweak it to coax out as much variation in timbre as possible. Fleisenberg also has a sense of structure to his performances, with an un-

derstanding of space and transitions between sounds. And, most important to this writer is the ability to generate atmospheres where imaginations can run free.

Take for example, the track “Window,” on which Fleisenberg creates eerie squeaks by scraping a window frame. When his noises bounce between low frequencies and high, piercing shrieks, this writer imagines a violent dialogue between two abstracted individuals: a calm, cold punisher and his victim of torture (to all you armchair psychologists out there: go ahead, do your worst).

Other listeners may hear a scene that isn’t so sinister. Other listeners may not even make it through the track, with occasional sounds that are like nails on a chalkboard.

On “Spinning Cymbal” Fleisenberg spins cymbals (surprise surprise) on the floor until they come to rest, but what unfolds isn’t just random clatter; Fleisenberg allows the cymbals to succumb to gravity in various ways, eventually dropping them halfway through the piece with crashing sounds and then generating churning rapids.

The complex “Wall” features aggressive scrapes that resemble barking, followed by nuanced work on a drum head using his hands, rattles with subtly changing timbres and balls rolling in metal bowls.

The mood needle on Crash swings wildly, from meditative moments to agonizing screeches to the restless scampers of an artist constantly exploring.

Diversions

Consider This with Dr. Rick

by Rick Pimental-Habib, Ph.D. “You are enough. You are so enough, it is unbelievable how enough you are.” — Author Unknown You’ve heard me say it often: Choose your friends wisely. Make your own decisions, to the best of your ability, as to who you spend time with.

Surround yourself with people who love you unconditionally, and support your life goals. I can’t stress this enough.

Sure, we may be stuck with our families, and some families are wonderfully supportive and loving, while others aren’t very good at believing in you, and all you are capable of.

However, you also have the family you choose. And if you surround yourself with negativity, or people who give you the message that somehow you aren’t good enough, or smart enough, or undeserving of love, then guess what? You’re with the wrong crowd.

Lift yourself up, and in the process, lift up others. And allow them to do the same for you. To paraphrase Maya Angelou, this bright morning is dawning for you. chattanoogapulse.com • august 6-12 • The Pulse • 19

SCREEN SCENE

Is It Gone Yet?

Crass, misfired “Vacation” is a definite save-your-money for a better movie

T

Chattamovies Monthly Meetup Local filmmakers gather to discuss their latest projects So, you like to make movies? One local group is working hard to bring together writers, directors, producers, actors and crew to help foster the ever-growing local film community.

Chattamovies hosts a monthly meeting at the downtown public library, with their next meeting happening this Tuesday at 6 p.m. on the library’s Fourth Floor.

As they explain on their website, “We welcome all StoryTellers. The writer tells the story to the director, the director to the actors, the actors to the director of photography, the

✴✴✴✴

director of photography to the editor, and the editor to the audience. The producers and the crew make sure the stories get told. The goal of the meetup is to help us all meet others that we can work with to create our stories together.”

Lights, camera, action...meetup!

Chattamovies Meetup Tuesday, Aug, 11, 6 p.m.

Chattanooga Public Library 4th Floor 1001 Broad St. meetup.com/Chattamovies/

NEW IN THEATERS

Fantastic Four Four young outsiders teleport to an alternate universe that alters their physical forms. The four must learn to harness their new abilities and work together to save the Earth.

Director: Josh Trank Stars: Miles Teller, Kate Mara, Michael B. Jordan, Jamie Bell

✴✴✴✴

Shaun the Sheep Movie When Shaun decides to take the day off and have some fun, he gets a little more action than he bargained for. A lot more than he bargained for.

Directors: Mark Burton & Richard Starzak Stars: Justin Fletcher, John Sparkes, Omid Djalili, Richard Webber

20 • The Pulse • august 6-12, 2015 • chattanoogapulse.com

oday’s culture is dominated by nostalgia.

The current purveyors of socially driven media find that people respond positively to lists featuring popular toys from the ’80s, or fringe characters from ’90s Nickelodeon shows, or songs that are mostly terrible but for some reason defined a minor moment in an otherwise trivial life. It seems that the current generation is obsessed with the things they once owned, or watched, or otherwise consumed during their childhood.

Screen john devore

“

For a film rooted in nostalgia, this year’s ‘Vacation’ doesn’t trust its own memory enough to do the original film justice.”

However, anyone that’s seen a “Vacation” movie knows that millennials don’t have exclusive rights to wistful remembrances (hell, establishment Republicans tend to base their entire political ideology on it).

Clark W. Griswold waxed nostalgic in each and every “Vacation” film, hoping to recreate the beautiful family moments he remembered from his childhood with his largely uninterested and longsuffering family. The joke wore thin as the sequels rose in number, but both the original “Vacation” and the surprising “Christmas Vacation” captured something timeless and universal: quality family time is shared misery that is endured, processed, and regurgitated many years later as unabashed happiness.

The new “Vacation” movie, starring Ed Helms and Christina Applegate, is a retread on these themes, but with an overdose of vulgarity. The original “Vacation” films walked the line between the crass and the acceptable, likely pushing those boundaries more in 1983 than it seems now. And yet, while I’m no prude when it comes to content, the reboot is overwhelmingly coarse and the tone just feels wrong.

In 2015’s “Vacation,” Rusty is a grown man with a family of his own, a nice house in the Chicago suburbs, and bor-

BREAKAWAY

BLOCK PARTY U.S. WOMEN’S NATIONAL TEAM

TAKES ON COSTA RICA

AUGUST 18-19

GAME DAY AUGUST 19TH | 6:30 PM ing job as a regional airline pilot. His marriage, it seems, has grown stale. In order to shake things up, Rusty decides to take his family to Wally World in California, despite no one in the family having ever heard of the theme park.

Rather than using his connections to fly west, Rusty rents an Albanian sedan with amusingly dangerous features (and six ash trays!) to take his family on what he hopes will be the trip of a lifetime. It is, essentially, a carbon copy of the plot of the 1983 film with more f-bombs and sex jokes.

The largest problem with the film is that the eccentricities are spread throughout the family rather than concentrated in one character. In the 1983 film, Chevy Chase (and to a lesser extent Randy Quaid) carried the absurdity on his shoulders.

The family essentially played the straight man forced to deal with a crazy person. In the reboot, each member has their own thing—the youngest son is a foul-mouthed bully, the older son a weak, nerdy poet, and the mother is a former sorority girl nicknamed “Debbie Do Anything.” Rusty is the straight man in his own “Vacation” film. This sounds like typical Hollywood sequel writing. You can almost hear the conversation inside the studio: “How about instead of a crazy dad…

there’s a crazy family?”

“That’s gold! It’s turning the whole franchise on its ear!”

“We’re geniuses!”

Instead of allowing a capable comic actor like Ed Hems to use his talent, the filmmakers chose to coast by on weak jokes about genitalia. This isn’t to say that the film is devoid of humor.

The humor is, as it always was, found in the familiar situations. An awkward father trying to help his son with a girl. Getting advice from a local. An unfamiliar vehicle with a broken GPS. These moments are relatable and recognizable. Most frustrating is that the filmmakers seemed to understand the importance of shared experience—and deliberately chose to be crass rather than clever.

That said, if you are a diehard “Vacation” fan, the reboot won’t anger you any more than “Vegas Vacation,” although the 2015 film might feature too much Chevy Chase, only onscreen for three or four minutes. But for a film rooted in nostalgia, this year’s “Vacation” doesn’t trust its own memory enough to do the original film justice.

I’d say it’s a shame, but then I’m not sure how much the country was clamoring for more antics involving the Griswold family. Perhaps it’s best to just let the franchise stay where it belongs—repeating over and over again on basic cable. chattanoogapulse.com • august 6-12 • The Pulse • 21

Jonesin’ Crossword

Free Will Astrology

matt jones

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): “What are the best things and the worst things in your life, and when are you going to get around to whispering or shouting them?” This question was posed by Leo author Ray Bradbury in his book Zen in the Art of Writing: Essays on Creativity. Even if you’re not a writer yourself, you will benefit from responding to his exhortation. It’s one of the best things you could possibly do to activate your dormant creativity and intensify your lust for life. This is one of those times when working with your extremes is not only safe and healthy, but also fun and inspirational. So do it, Leo! Get excited and expressive about the best and worst things in your life.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): It’s time to leave behind the golden oldies. You’d be wise to tiptoe away from tradition, and give the ghosts of the past one last kiss goodbye, and wean yourself from nostalgia for the good old days.

Frankly, my dear, you’ve got numerous appointments with the future, and it would be a shame to miss them because you’re mucking around with memories. In the coming weeks—for that matter, in the coming months—you’re most likely to thrive if you become an agent of change. And the most important thing to change is your relationship to the person you used to be.

“Dual Roles”—we’re going to name names.

ACROSS 1 Banned, poshly 5 Lou who sang “You’ll Never Find Another Love Like Mine” 10 Baby ___ choy 13 Fuzzy memory 14 Believed without question 15 “Game of Thrones” actress Chaplin 16 It’s called for claims 17 Elevated 18 Ventilation shaft 19 Dude who’s extremely chummy?

22 “Friends” family name 24 Tennis icon Arthur 25 The Atlantic, e.g.

26 “Gomer Pyle, U.S.M.C.” star Jim 30 Yorkiepoo, e.g.

31 Make actress Sobieski’s hair stick straight out?

36 Burden 38 No right ___ 39 “There is no try” utterer

40 Me playing some hand drums?

43 Health supp.

44 Toledo’s home 45 Kagan of the Supreme Court 47 Bahama ___ (rum cocktail) 49 Visit, as an inn 50 Toy train enthusiast?

55 Shaving gel additive 56 Muhammad’s pugilistic daughter, with 2-down 57 Chain items 60 1/1760th of a mile 61 Poker announcement 62 Ample Aussie avifauna 63 Boise-toBillings dir.

64 No-stringsattached they aren’t 65 Cable channel since 1979 DOWN 1 “We’re not sure

yet,” on a schedule 2 See 56-Across 3 Bazooka insert 4 Author ___ K. Le Guin 5 Down time, briefly 6 “The washing machine is not ___” 7 Spud of NBA fame 8 She’s back in town, in a Fats Waller song 9 Reached 65, in some places 10 Big branch 11 Just as planned 12 “Firework” singer Perry 15 Homeric epic 20 Bear lairs 21 Ice Bucket Challenge’s premise 22 Beckett’s no-show 23 “Low-priced” commercial prefix 26 One may be silent but deadly 27 “The Rubber Capital of the World” 28 “There’s ___ terrible mistake!”

29 “Ye” follower, on shoppe signs 32 “___ and Circumstance” 33 They may be written to your schmoopy 34 Patsy’s “Absolutely Fabulous” sidekick 35 Gnaw away 37 Like wine glasses 41 “___ can you see...”

42 Green heard in “Family Guy” 46 “Check this out!”

47 “The Last Supper” location 48 Dino’s love 49 Imaging center images 50 “The Gong Show” panelist ___ P. Morgan 51 Modeling material 52 Golden ring 53 Like some salads 54 Mishmash 58 “Uh-huh!”

59 ID where you might reveal the last 4

Copyright © 2015 Jonesin’ Crosswords. For answers to this puzzle, call: 1-900-226-2800, 99 cents per minute. Must be 18+ to call. Or to bill to your credit card, call: 1-800-655-6548. Reference puzzle No. 0739

22 • The Pulse • august 6-12, 2015 • chattanoogapulse.com

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): In Indonesia, the term gotong-royong is defined as the “joint bearing of burdens.” In practice it means that you and I and our allies get together voluntarily to help each other achieve a shared goal. It may also be an agreement to provide mutual aid: I help you do what you need to have done, and you help me with my task. Gotong-royong also implies that we enjoy working together. The emotional tone that we cultivate is affection and care.

By sharing a burden, we lighten the load that each of us has to bear.

I bring this to your attention, Libra, because it’s the gotong-royong season for you and yours. Be the ringleader who initiates and sustains it.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): In one of his poems, Jack Gilbert mentions “the incurably sane,” who are “uncrippled by beauty” and “unbutchered by love.” When I read those lines, I felt a surge of protest. Is there a single person on the Earth who fits that description?

No! I was miffed by such starryeyed idealism. Later, though, as I studied the astrological omens for you Scorpios, my attitude softened. I realized that the coming weeks may be a time when many of you will at least temporarily be incurably sane, uncrippled by beauty, and unbutchered by love.

If you’re one of these lucky ones, please use your blessed grace to

rob brezsny

spread an abundance of blessed grace everywhere you go.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): If you’re not skirting the edges of the forbidden zone, you’re playing it too safe. If you’re not serving as a benevolent mischief-maker for someone you care about, you’re shirking your duty. Your allegiance should be with X-factors and wild cards. You will thrive to the degree that you cultivate alliances with mavericks and instigators. Are you shrewd enough to mess with timetested formulas? Are you restless enough to rebel against habits that stifle your curiosity?

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): How to be a Capricorn, according to my Capricorn reader Sadie Kennedy: When you are younger, take yourself too seriously. Look and act older than you actually are as you serve what’s most practical.

Sacrifice fun and frivolity, working doggedly to achieve the goals you yearn for, until you reach some level of accomplishment. Then realize, as if struck by a thunderbolt, that fun and frivolity have practical value. Begin to age backwards like Benjamin Button as you balance work with play and discipline with leisure. Enjoy the fruits of your intense efforts as everyone tells you how relaxed and supple and resilient you are becoming.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Cracking open the shell of a softboiled egg is a tricky task. You must be firm enough to break the shell, but sufficiently gentle to avoid making a mess. If you live in Germany, you have access to a metal instrument that provides just the right measure of soft force. It’s called an Eierschalensollbruchstellenverursacher, translated as “soft-boiled egg shell cracker.”

Your assignment in the coming weeks is to cultivate a talent that is metaphorically similar to an Eierschalensollbruchstellenverursacher. I believe you will need that blend of sensitivity and power on numerous occasions.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Americans often regard Cuba as impoverished and backwards.

There is an element of truth in their prejudice, primarily because the U.S. has imposed a stifling embargo on the Caribbean nation for over 50 years. That’s why, for example, many Cubans drive cars that were manufactured in the 1950s. But I wonder how my fellow citizens would respond if they knew that in some ways Cuba’s healthcare system is better than America’s. The World Health Organization recently congratulated Cuba for being the first country on earth to eradicate the transmission of syphilis and HIV from mothers to babies. Can you identify a metaphorically similar situation in your personal life, Pisces? Are there people you regard as inferior or un-

developed who could teach you an important lesson or motivate you to grow? Now is a perfect time to benefit from their influence.

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Charles de Lint is a novelist whose stories are influenced by folklore, myths, and science fiction. In his book Yarrow, a wizardly character named Toby is skilled at conjuring. He can make small objects appear and disappear, for example.

But Toby yearns for more. “I want to be magic,” he says. “I want to be a friend of elves and live in a tree.

I want to marry a moonbeam and hear the stars sing. I don’t want to pretend at magic anymore. I want to be magic.” If you have ever wished for a comparable upgrade, Aries, now is an unusually favorable time to work on it.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): An imaginative Welsh man named Liam Bennett has developed a “dausage,” which is a blend of a doughnut and sausage. One of his most requested treats is pork meat stuffed with strawberry jelly. Even if this novel blend doesn’t appeal to your taste buds, it serves as a good prompt for my advice: The coming weeks will be a favorable time to expand your notion of what types of nourishment are fun and healthy for you. I mean that in the metaphorical as well as the literal sense. Experiment with new recipes, both with the food you provide your body and the sustenance you feed your soul.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): In the woods, living matter isn’t segregated from the decaying stuff. Rotting tree trunks are host to teeming colonies of moss. Withered stems of ferns mingle with cheerful saplings. Audacious mushrooms sprout up among scraps of fallen leaves. The birds and beetles and lizards and butterflies don’t act as if this mix is weird. They seem to be at peace with it. I suspect they thrive on it, even exult in it. That’s the spirit I suggest you adopt as you enjoy the paradoxical mélange of your life in the coming weeks, Gemini. Celebrate the mysterious magic that emerges as you simultaneously fade and flourish, decline and increase, wind down and rise up.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Here are some tips on being the best Cancerian you can be: 1.

Cultivate your sensitivity as a strength. Regard your emotional vulnerability as a superpower. 2.

Nurture yourself at least as much as you nurture others. 3. Learn to know the difference between your golden hunches and the glimmering delusions that your demons stir up. 4. Be kind, but don’t be exorbitantly nice. 5. Remember that others’ unhappiness is rarely your fault or responsibility. 6. Keep reinventing the way you love yourself.

When Fake Needs To Show Its Colors Officer Alex points out why kids should only play with toys that look like toys. Obviously.

“

Here we are, still buying replica pistols for our children and then shaking our fists at the heavens when the all-toocommon planetary alignment of wrong places and wrong times puts them into contact with law enforcement.”

Photo by Travis Grawey

When officer Alexander D. Teach is not patrolling our fair city on the heels of the criminal element, he spends his spare time volunteering for the Boehm Birth Defects Center.

There are things that I mandates the toy guns sold consider to be true to the there be brightly colored or point of bordering on being otherwise distinguishable “facts,” but alas, they are from real weapons. not.

They I’m seeare merely ing articles, opinions. I’m columns, not talking and opinabout poliion pieces ALEX TEACH tics or relipopping up gion or favorite colors here, everywhere regarding the though, I’m talking about claws of “The Nanny State” that hinterland we refer to being sunken yet further as “common sense.” into our collective throats Firetrucks should be red. by this treachery.

Dudes should not wear Am I a supporter of “The skirts. I don’t believe pregNanny State?” Far from it. nant women should smoke But in researching examcigarettes. And kids should ples for this week’s diatribe, not play with toy guns—not I realized that with decade replicas, at least. after decade worth of examBe as offended as you ples of kids being shot over choose if you’re a supporter toy guns, it is so common in of “high-visibility green” our culture that I don’t even for the nozzle heads, if for need to bring up specifics; you whatever reason you want know it happens. their rides to look like Yet here we are, still buyTDOT Help Trucks, or if ing replica pistols for our you think the kilt should be children and then shakworn by anyone other than ing our fists at the heavens a guy actively playing the when the all-too-common bagpipes. My passion for planetary alignment of the latter, however, is such wrong places and wrong that I’d take it to the floor of times puts them into conany legislative body in the tact with law enforcement nation. by well-intended neighbors A recent settlement was or flat-out random encounreached in New York State ters with patrol officers. by its attorney general A cop perceives a deadly with Amazon, Kmart, and weapon, not the age of the Walmart for selling realispossessor of such. This is tic guns online in contracalled “reality.” If possible vention of state law, which a verbal command is given,

On The Beat

and in most cases a “child” (from a five year old to a 15-year-old 195lb. “baby”) freezes as young people tend to do—and they are wounded or killed for not dropping it or pointing the “gun” towards officers as they have been indirectly taught to so by their parents—because what else are toy guns used for other than pointing at each other to simulate shooting?

Are cops trained to shoot 5 to 15 year olds? NO. Don’t start that. But they are trained to react to deadly weapons, and I can tell you from experience, we don’t usually get to inspect the other guy’s pistol or rifle prior to a firefight.

And given these weapons’ historical tendency to kill or maim, cops have to err on the side of caution. And is it difficult? Well, let’s point a pistol at your head and see where your concentration goes. (*Hint: That $@#% is downright distracting.)

I have a home with handguns in it. I’ve raised two boys. My point?

At no time did I think it was reasonable to expect a

child who thought the puppets on “Sesame Street” were real to know that there is a difference between a fake gun and a real gun. And conversely, as that child got older?

At no time did I expect a police officer to have to look at a 12-year-old “child” and decide if it’s a fake gun or a real gun.

The world is more complicated than you think it is, particularly during the one-to-two split seconds when you believe someone may be trying to kill you, and kids should not be set up to fail by their parents, no matter how good their intentions are.

Guns in my opinion are not toys. I actually believe most people would agree on that. So, despite this, when parents insist on teaching kids that they are with the purchase of a “realistic fake one,” at least give the kid (and the cop) a fighting chance by making it yellow or orange or both, and leave the attorney general alone.

The parents really are the problem in this case—not the laws.

chattanoogapulse.com • august 6-12 • The Pulse • 23

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