Scholarship in the service of poetry

August 22, 2010 6:43 AM

It's about ethnomusicology, immigrants, and a tiny bit about depression. Read about Ian Nagoski and the music he discovered in a box of records that survived a foreclosure (WaPo link - register or bugmenot). Listen. Podcast. Buy some.
posted by ersatzkat (9 comments total)

Ian Nagoski rocks from my part of the world. Just sayin'.
posted by sonascope at 6:50 AM on August 22, 2010

Wonderful story.

See also Distant Transmissions

Also a musician in his own right: Ian Nagoski (Interview)
posted by y2karl at 6:59 AM on August 22, 2010

Also on Facebook: Fonotopia Radio
posted by y2karl at 7:07 AM on August 22, 2010

What a great story.

At 21, he moved to New York to work for the pioneering modernist composer La Monte Young and to live in the artist's "Dream House," a loft space that had been converted into an experimental sound-and-light installation. But he spent most of his time attending to Young-ordered household chores ranging from the mundane (laundry and dish duty) to the ridiculous (shrine scrubbing).

Is anyone truly a success without having their own shrine-scrubber?
posted by exogenous at 7:08 AM on August 22, 2010 [1 favorite]

This is fascinating. Thanks for sharing, ersatzkat!
posted by .kobayashi. at 7:10 AM on August 22, 2010

I'm a huge Marika Papagika fan. Have been for five minutes.
posted by kozad at 8:27 AM on August 22, 2010 [1 favorite]

Fantastic post. Thanks!
posted by Miko at 8:44 AM on August 22, 2010

Ian used to be a partner in a great record store in Baltimore, but quit it to put out more of the music he's been collecting. I was sad about that, but happy for the music.

If you have a chance to catch one of the lectures he sometimes gives where he talks about old ethnic 78s as he's playing them, I would highly recommend it.
posted by OmieWise at 9:58 AM on August 22, 2010

Also, readers of this thread might like Excavated Shellac.
posted by OmieWise at 1:30 PM on August 27, 2010