Advanced Theory posits that when a genius creates a piece of art that is largely perceived as bad, it does not necessarily mean he’s lost his touch. Rather, it might mean that he’s doing something that you cannot understand, because he has Advanced beyond you.

Jandek–who performs Saturday at Velvet Lounge as part of the Sonic Circuits Festival–has been making inscrutable, some would even say bad, art for over two decades. Still, I’ve never considered him capable of advancement. His behavior–hiding his true identity, declining interviews, never appearing in public, releasing scores droney and unlistenable psych-folk records via mail order–is weird, yeah, but it’s consistent. And truly advanced behavior, at least as it is defined by founder Jason Hartley, is anything but consistent.

As Chuck Klosterman put it in this Esquire article:

The key to Advancement is that Advanced artists a) do not do what is expected of them but also b) do not do the opposite of what is expected of them.

Jandek–unlike Sting, Lou Reed, or any other truly advanced artist–pretty much always does what you expect.

Or does he?

Read More “Has Jandek Advanced?” »

Sonic Circuits just sent out a sneak-preview of this year’s festival lineup and it looks like it’s going to be a watershed year for DC’s music nerds. The majesty of this year’s bill is rivaled only by its inscrutability to the vast majority of listeners:Faust, Tim Hecker, Jandek!? There’s a whole movie about how it’s impossible to get in touch with Jandek, yet there he is, second from the top. Impressive. A number of other artists, both national and international, are also listed, along with a healthy supply of local talent.

But yeah, I had to pinch myself just to be certain that I was awake and that the event wasn’t really taking place in Baltimore.

The festival will be taking place September 25-27, 2009.

List after the jump.
Read More “Sonic Circuits 2009 Lineup Preview” »