Thoughts on the Death of Flash and New Media Art

Last Tuesday Adobe announced that it will stop updating and supporting Flash Player at the end of 2020. This was followed by announcements from Apple, Microsoft, Google and Mozilla on how they plan to phase the plug-in out of their browsers ahead of its kill-date. The news was met with near-universal exuberance from tech journalists and pundits, who have been predicting/advocating the death of Flash for several years now. After all, Flash is resource-intensive, represents a security risk and has been replaced by far more efficient options in most applications--not to mention the glaring lack of mobile support.

From the late 90s up until just a few years ago, Flash was one of the most viable options for those looking to create interactive web content that could be readily viewed by the vast majority of--if not all--non-mobile users. This, combined with its relative ease-of-use/accessibility, made it a favorite among hobbyists and small time developers who wouldn't otherwise have had an avenue to create and distribute interactive art on the web.

Adobe's statement "encourage[s] content creators to migrate any existing Flash content to [ . . . ] open formats." This is easier said than done--while video content may be relatively easy to carry over, interactive content will need to be reworked entirely to be web-compatible in the Flash-less future.

This concept--that the onus is on the artist to preserve their own work--is a hallmark of new media art; as technology "progresses" and new standards are adopted, artists must either make sure their work conforms or watch it disappear. Considering that a lot of Flash content was created by hobbyists who are years removed from it, the odds are that a lot of it will fall into obsolescence over the next few years.

It's obvious that Flash is well past the point of relevance in terms of modern web development, and Adobe can't be blamed for not being willing to sink resources into preserving an antiquated technology. However, the fact that we're on the verge of losing access to well over a decade of interactive content is lamentable. Preservation of art is crucially important, as our perception and appreciation of it changes over time--Vincent Van Gogh was only able to sell a single painting in his lifetime, yet they're now among the most famous and valuable in the world.

Almost more troubling than what we're losing is the sense of apathy expressed over it. The general consensus from tech journos seems to be that the phase out is overdue, as system security should be priority number one, even if it results in a loss of functionality. The impending obsolescence of Flash raises some serious questions as to the merits of new media art as currently implied. Specifically, if there is value in producing art for a culture that views it as disposable and treats it as such.

Run Out Groove #1: The Motor City Five - MC5

On Saturday I received my copy of The Motor City Five by MC5; the first release from Run Out Groove, which is a record club-esque division of Rhino records. For the uninitiated, Run Out Groove works like this: every month 3 titles are announced and users get to vote for the one they'd like to see pressed; the record that receives the most votes after a month is made available for pre-order. Production is limited to the number of pre-orders received during the month-long window, plus a few to be made available at record stores. All the records are one-time pressings and out of print henceforth.

I missed the window to pre-order the first record directly from Run Out Groove, but luckily enough was able to secure a copy from barnesandnoble.com. B&N are still using the same sub-par method of packaging that has led to about half of the records I've ordered from them coming with damaged jackets, but by some miracle this one arrived unscathed two days after shipping.

First impressions were very favorable--the old school paper-wrapped silver foil Stoughton jacket is a thing of beauty, and the record itself is a nice mix of red blue and clear vinyl. There's also an insert with a brief write-up on the band and some info on the release. Run Out Groove definitely knows who they're catering to, as evidenced by the record arriving in a resealable sleeve with a bar code sticker instead of shrink wrap with a printed bar code.

Side 1 of the record features an Elektra label and is comprised of four cuts from Kick Out the Jams-- the band's only album on Elektra--as well as two early singles. Side 2 dons an Atlantic label and is made up of 6 tracks culled from the band's 2 albums on Atlantic. It's pretty clever how the LP format was utilized to distinguish between two eras of the band's career.

The vinyl was pressed at Record Industry in the Netherlands, and mine is dead quiet. Sound quality is kind of all over the place, which is understandable considering the mix of early, live and studio recordings contained in this release.

Audiophiles might want to look elsewhere, but I'd recommend this to anyone who wants a cursory look at the MC5. I'm looking forward to seeing how next month's record turns out! \m/(>.<)\m/

Record Show Finds -- May 2017

Last week's flea market excursion didn't bear much worth writing about, aside from a decent copy of the first Montrose album and a couple weird 45s. This week the forecast was too dreary to bother setting an alarm, although it ended up being a gorgeous 60 degrees and mostly sunny. However, I had already planned on skipping this week, as there was a record show about 20 minutes away.

This particular show was pretty sparsely attended, likely owing to the fact that it was the third iteration in as many months. I ended up leaving with a pretty impressive stack, although I can't say the same about every record contained therein, mostly due to...

DOLLAR BIN MANIA!!!

One of the sellers had about 15 boxes of records, all but two of which were priced at $1 per record; 95% of the jackets were near mint or just a hair under, and the records weren't far (if at all) behind. Usually I'm more for quality over quantity when it comes to record shows--I get more than enough cheap, oddball records from thrift stores and flea markets--but I flipped through the boxes anyway and ended up finding 15 albums that I couldn't pass up. Let me preface by saying that this grouping isn't exactly representative of my musical tastes--most of the records I picked up were either total flyers or just purchased for the cover art, though there were a couple that I was excited to find for $1.

Spooks in Space - Aural Exciters, One of the Glory Boys - Peter Noone,  Here to Stay - Schon & Hammer, Alive Alone - Mickey Thomas, Struttin' My Stuff - Elvin Bishop, Crash and Burn - Pat Travers Band, Vendetta - Vendetta, Smash 1 - The Smashchords, Battered Wives - Battered Wives, Mayday - Mayday, New Day - Airwaves, Premonition - Survivor, Street Fever - Moon Martin, Hit 45s of the 70s Vol II - Various, Broken Home - Broken Home

Okay, so it's not all gold, but can you really go wrong for a dollar? Don't answer that.

Looking Glass by Looking Glass and Sign in Please by Autograph

I did grab a couple more expensive records, though they were still relatively cheap. Looking Glass features "Brandy", which was #1 for a week in 1972 and is included in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2, but the rest of the album is pretty worthwhile too. I've been looking for a clean copy for years, and this one definitely fits the bill. Sign In Please is quintessential 80s hard rock cheese, featuring the hit "Turn Up The Radio." Both records set me back $15 in total.

So nothing really mind-blowing, but 17 albums in great condition for $30 (plus a $5 entrance fee) isn't bad by any metric.

Flea Market Finds 2017 #1

This past Sunday was opening day at the local outdoor flea market. Usually opening day is kind of a mixed bag--the vendor turn-out is great, but their tables look almost exactly as they did at the end of last season. As a record collector this is particularly maddening; flipping past the same grimy copies of Saturday Night Fever and countless JFK tribute records that you've seen every week since 2013 is nothing if not an exercise in frustration. That being said, the gods of dusty trash were smiling upon me this particular Sunday, as I ended up coming home with a pretty bitchin' record haul. Without further ado, here's everything picked up!

Star Fleet Project by Brian May + Friends and Seventh Star by Black Sabbath

My first finds of the day came from a box that contained well-worn copies of pretty much every album Michael Schenker ever played on, twice. Star Fleet Project is a "mini lp" featuring Brian May and Eddie Van Halen on guitar, with a 12 minute blues jam on the b-side. Seventh Star is basically a Tony Iommi solo record with Glenn Hughes singing and Eric Singer on drums. These two are in pretty solid VG+ condition, so I was more than happy to pay $5 for the pair.

Destroyer by KISS 

Nothing particularly special about this one--it's just a tan-label repress, of which I already have a few copies more than I need. However, this one looked to be in pretty sweet condition, so I couldn't pass it up. The seller was asking $10, but accepted my counter of $7.

 

The Barbarians by The Barbarians and The Boston Tea Party by The Boston Tea Party

A pair of self-titled albums from one-and-done 60s bands. The Barbarians were a garage band from Cape Cod, best known for their songs "Are You A Boy Or Are You A Girl?" and "Moulty," an autobiographical song sung by the band's one-handed drummer. The Boston Tea Party were a pop-psych band from, you guessed it, Burbank, California--wait, what? The Barbarians is the Rhino reissue from 1979 in NM condition, while The Boston Tea Party is an original from 1968 still sealed. The seller was asking $25 and $40 respectively, but I ended up getting the pair for $45  \m/(>.<)\m/

Strange Mercy by St. Vincent

This was sitting behind a beat-up copy of Briefcase Full of Blues, still sealed, along with 3 or 4 other grimy records. I asked how much the seller was asking, and he said $1 each. I've never really been inclined to seek our her music on my own, but for $1 I'll try anything.

All in all a super-promising start to the 2017 flea market season, and hopefully a sign of things to come!

Cushman's Honeybells from QVC

Last year I spent the first two weeks confined to the couch, after waking up with a myriad of flu-like symptoms on New Year's Eve. As I'm apt to do whenever I'm considerably ill, I ended up watching a lot of QVC; it might sound peculiar, but when it's 4 am and your mind is ravaged by fever, it's a bit more palatable than cable news or endless reruns of "Friends" if you're just looking for some background noise as you drift in and out of consciousness. It was during this time that I was introduced to Cushman's Honeybells and their tireless champion, Allen Cushman. Every January Mr. Cushman comes on QVC to extol the virtues of Honeybells, and to explain why these virtues are exclusive to Cushman's Honeybells.

I was captivated, but not convinced. So, rather than order a box I went to the supermarket and bought a few tangelos, which are supposedly Honeybells without the hoopla. I was not impressed; the store-bought tangelos were juicy, but the fruit was tough and and tasted sour; definitely not "sweet as honey."

That should have been it, but after being exposed to several hours worth of Honeybell propaganda in one day, my curiosity remained; was it all just meaningless hype, or are Cushman's Honeybells truly the citrus by which all others should be measured? I had to know, but I missed the 2016 order window, so my questions would go unanswered.

Until now!

My biggest concern with ordering produce off the TV was that it would be bad on arrival; I'm pretty picky when shopping for fruit at the supermarket, so it was a definite possibility that whatever they sent me wouldn't meet my meticulous standards--fortunately this didn't prove to be a problem. We ordered the 7.5 lb box, which was said to include 12-15 Honeybells; ours came with 14 and a notice that they should be consumed within 10 days.

So, how are they? They taste a lot like a clementine; they're very sweet and insanely juicy, just as described, although like the store-bought tangelos the fruit is a little tough. In comparison, the store-bought tangelos were sour and somewhat flavorless. While the Honeybells were all a uniform light orange, the color of the store-bought tangelos ranged from almost-yellow to almost-red.

Verdict: Cushman's Honeybells are ten times better than the Sunkist Tangelos you can buy at the store; I didn't think it was possible for them to live up to the impassioned sales pitch, but somehow they do. If you're looking to spend $35 on a box of citrus, look no further!

Jerk! Twist! Twitch! With The Itchies

Last Sunday I got up bright and early for the latest installment of the Deadwax Record Show at the Hilton Garden Inn in Burlington, MA. I was pretty excited for it, as this was to be my first record expedition since before Thanksgiving. Unfortunately it was a bit of a bust, as I only walked away with a single 45; "Jerk! Twist! Twitch! with The Itchies," a local release out of Rhode Island from 1996.

When I saw The Sonics in 2015 at the Columbus Theatre in Providence, RI a pretty cool local band called Thee Itchies kicked off the evening. I bought the record thinking that it was the same band, however this 45 features a female vocalist, while the band as I saw them did not. I'm going to assume that the band simply changed their line-up, and that there aren't competing bands called The Itchies gigging around Rhode Island, although I'm not 100% on that.

The record opens with a pair of decent garage-punk tracks and concludes with a retro instrumental. Nothing groundbreaking or essential, but if you run into a copy for cheap you could probably do worse.

Check out: "Itchy Twitchy" live on Youtube