Arts & Culture

Cecilia Fire Thunder gave this talk at the Plains Art Museum because four of the (very meaningful) dolls she makes are part of the Waasamoo-Beshizi exhibition. Cecilia says making the dolls is part of healing for her, and she talks about her life, accomplishments, and the things she needed to heal from. Relocated from Pine Ridge to Los Angeles as a child with her family, as part of an assimilation effort, she began as a nurse and went on to an interesting, activist career in health care. She returned to Pine Ridge as an adult and ended up doing a controversial turn as Tribal Chair.

Pacific Northwest alt rockin' trio Sleater Kinney, who have been kickin' out blistering jams since the mid 90's, have announced the title to their new album, produced by St. Vincent. The Center Won't Hold mixes political and personal themes and features signature Sleater Kinney melodies with an enhanced sonic palette, thanks to trademark Annie Clark rhythmic keyboards. Ken Burn's sprawling September mini-series Country Music, explores the genre from the lens of the last century. The artists featurd on the equally huge, 5-CD soundtrack have been announced, and include Johnny Cash, Dolly Parton, George Jones, Willie Nelson, Dolly Parton and many, many more. And Rubberband, a long, lost Miles Davis album from 1985 is finally going to see the light of day. 

Thin Lizzy's late great frontman Phil Lynott became one of Ireland's most iconic and loved musicians, thanks, not only to his talents and prowess as a vocalist and bassist in a popular, hard rockin' band of the 1970's, but to his mother Philomena's efforts to keep his memory alive. She successfully campaigned to have a statue made in her son's honor. It was erected in 2005. Philomena Lynott has died at the age of 88 after a long battle with cancer.  New York City Mayor Bill DeBlasio honored Regina Spektor at a Russian Heritage event earlier this week, for her numerous philanthropic contributions to music in the Big Apple. And indie singer/songwriter Sufjan Stevens has penned an essay in honor of a Supreme Court decision from the late 1960's, which struck down laws banning interracial marriage. 

On Thursday, the Chicago White Sox plan to commemorate the 40th anniversary of Disco Demolition Night, when a local DJ led a disco record-destroying evening of mayhem at what was then known as Comiskey Park. But many felt the attack on the genre was racist and homophobic, as many of the creators and fans of disco were black, Latino and gay. Before his passing, Dr. John completed his final album despite being in frail health the past year. It features country covers and guests like Willie Nelson, Aaron Neville and Ricki Lee Jones, who duets on a reworked version of "I Walk on Gilded Splinters." And the master tapes of Nirvana's Nevermind and hundreds of other recording were lost in a 2008 fire at Universal Studios in Hollywood.

Greg Kurstin and Inara George of quirky indie duo The Bird & The Bee are putting out a Van Halen tribute in early August that focuses on the David Lee Roth era. They're also launching a tour that features an LA stop where Dave Grohl will play Alex Van Halen. Trying to beat hackers at their own game, Radiohead have released eighteen hours-worth of OK Computer sessions, some of which leaked online recently. In honor of their late frontman Scott Hutchison, who took his own life, surviving Frightened Rabbit bandmates will auction off gear to benefit a mental health charity that they founded. My Morning Jacket will celebrate the twentieth anniversary of their debut The Tennessee Fire with a deluxe, three-album vinyl reissue, with lots of bonus material, including never-before-released tracks.

Valerie Star is a makeup artist from Florida and the inspiration behind the worldwide hit "Valerie" by Mark Ronson and featuring one of the most inspired vocal performances by the late Amy Winehouse. The original version was by Liverpool band The Zutons, whose frontman Dave McCabe met and dated Star after a gig in Florida. Elvis Costello will be recognized as an Officer of the British Empire (OBE) for his service to music. And 58-year-old Flaming Lips singer and visual artist Wayne Coyne has announced the birth of a son, Bloom Coyne.