How Much Longer Must We Tolerate Mass Culture?

The Twilight Sad- No One Can Ever Know

2012-02-10T20:57:00.000-08:00

This will be a relatively short review. These guys are bleak. Have been, and will be. They can make Joy Division seem like a party band. However, it's not bleak for bleakness' sake. It's not like Nine Inch Nails where the depression becomes a weird fetish of some kind of tough-guy stance. They're open and honest sounding. It's the sadness of growing into being cynical and bitter, not a pose. So, what's new on this one? Their sound, which was a variation on post-rock, like Aerogramme, is now like a post-punk/early industrial Shoegazer/post rock hybrid. It's like Caberet Voltaire running headlong into the Catherine Wheel, to play pages from a teenage suicide's diary set to music. Uniquely beautiful. This is something new under the sun. I think the bleakness, and chilly cynicism will scare off listeners, which is too bad, because this is some of the best new music I've heard.

That might be why it's called "No One Can Ever Know"

Ok, I'll do it

2012-02-10T20:08:00.001-08:00

I'm going to talk about the new Mark Lanegan LP "Blues Funeral". Please note the phrasing. I don't want anyone to think this is a review. I cannot "review" this- I'm not qualified.

I can talk about it, though. Firstly, I can mention how little objectivity I've got. Lanegan could croon an LP of him singing the Universal Building Code, accompanied by a kazoo, and I'd be all about it.

But, immediately afterwards, I can mention that I'm unafraid of electronics. I remember being 8 and getting into an argument with a friend about Queen. He liked them, and thought it was cool that they put a "no synthesizers" tag on their record. I thought it was stupid-to me, it was an artificial and hypocritical self-limitation- they still plugged in guitars, and microphones, and used multi-tracking in the studio, right? So, it seemed dumb to me- like saying "We play basketball without shoes"- sure you can do it, but you'll just play crappier. So, without insulting Queen further, let me just say that from an early age, my stance has been- use every tool you need to get across your point. So, I've got less than no problem with the beatboxes and loops, and synths on this. For those in the "no synths" camp, I'd like to point out that I'm hearing a lot of electric guitars, too, so you won't be missing your favorite sounds, here.

I'm a pretty idiosyncratic listener. I know this, and if you read through my blog, you'll know that , too. In a way, this stuff reminds me of Iggy's post-Stooges work- it's the sound of a guy trying to see how he fits into the brave New world that he helped to usher in. So, just like The Idiot isn't exactly a Punk record, but isn't exactly not a punk record, this isn't exactly a grunge record, but it's not exactly not a grunge record. It's full of strange musings following personal obessessions, like Iggy did, too. I really like that quality- I don't want a singer to try to sound like how they think I want them to sound- that quickly devolves into Nickelback. I want them to have a muse, and to follow it, so's I can listen and expand my world a bit.

Still, I have to go back to that voice. Mark Lanegan could sing just about anything in that sandpaper worn smooth gritty voice of his, and you'll hear oceans of experience and misadventure in it. It's easily my favorite voice in Rocknroll.

I'll tell you another thing you won't hear in a review- this also reminds me of the Butthole Surfers. What I mean is that it smells of "studio psychedelia"- setting some creative people into a room with studio equipment that they don't fully understand, let 'em get ripped, and then let 'em rip on that gear- jarring effects, only some of which work, abound.

So, yes, this is objectively a great new record, but I think it may take a few years for fans' subjective take to catch up to what's there. I love it on an instinctual level, but I think I'll be able to appreciate it in a few months or years.

NEW KILLING JOKE

2012-02-07T19:34:00.000-08:00

IN APRIL. I'M TYPING IN ALL CAPS BECAUSE I'M PUMPED LIKE A FRAT BOY WITH A CASE OF MID PRICED BEER.

Read the news at Drowned in Sound. listen to the track....

Of all the things...

2012-02-07T18:59:00.000-08:00

Lots of really good music out today. I've bought Die Antwoord's "Ten$ion", Mark Lanegan's "Blues Funeral" and The Twilight Sad's " No one can Ever Know" just today, and there are other things to buy. Very Nice. So, of all these things, why am I spotlighting Die Antwoord? Because, outside of MIA at the Superbowl, nothing was more "rocknroll" than Die Antwoord on Letterman? Nope. Because I really think, as far as dance music goes, they're at the top of the game, at this moment in time. Listen loud, and it will make sense....

Neu Die Antwoord

2012-02-04T05:31:00.000-08:00

Best track since Evil Boy. I'm seeing them in a week. Yes, really. No, I don't think they're a joke. Yes, they're funny, but if they don't make you wanna move you're wrong.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Uee_mcxvrw

Lana Del Wha?

2012-02-02T19:19:00.001-08:00

Ever get the feeling you're being cheated? The thing is, I'm not backlashing against her. I thought her music was overly mannered drivel from a half wit. However, that's par for the course. Supposedly, she is some overly packaged little twit who performed badly on Saturday Night Live. Now, kids, it's been years and years since SNL was even remotely cutting edge, so what's the big deal? But, then, I start hearing over and over and over and over like a sample on an MC Hammer track about how there's some massive hipster backlash against her for that performance. Really now? You expect me to buy it? I know a campaign when I see one. But, let's just say that you're not as cynical and bitter as me. If that's the case you may need a slight primer. See, you've got a sub-standard fake-alt singer. How do you generate buzz? Why do it just one way? Why not pump her up and get her over exposed, then, invent the backlash against her overexposure, and make it seem like the kind of tragically hip poseur that everyone hates, hates her. Et voila, her very sold-out fakeness become a selling point for her authenticity. Think that's paranoid? Well, ask Liz Phair. Ask Maria Mckee. Ask Fiona Apple. Ask Tanya Donnelly. Get the picture? This is an old marketing ploy, just sped up and put on Twitter.

Leonard says what I tell Him

2012-02-02T16:05:00.000-08:00

I'm fairly depressed, about now. I'm prone to depressions, and I no longer take them so very seriously. There's an underlying understanding that the world isn't right, and that I'm not right, and that sometimes these things misalign, so I've just got to wait until things align a little better. I'm basically a positive dude, with a real will of steel, so I know that it's just the price I pay to live. This means I'm in a perfect place for the music coming out, now. I've not yet purchased the stuff coming out on the 7th, but I will. Today, I've got Leonard Cohen's Old Ideas. It's perfect for my discontent. The pace is fairly languid, the instrumentation sparse, and Leonard is actually in fine voice, here- he doesn't really so much "sing" as descant, incant and chant his way through his songs, which is exactly what they require. If he sang them, it'd be schmaltzy, like an unnecessary decoration. I think of his voice like a narrow black tie. It goes with most suits, but when paired with the simplicity of a black 2 button suit with a white oxford, and a black straw fedora, it is complete, and perfect in a way that either a big colourful cravat or a bow tie or some such would not be. So he simply pours drams of his life, soul and weary heart on to his authentic little tunes, and that serves as his voice- as if you could ask for more.

So, could you enjoy this? Well, unlike , say, some Goth Princess, Leonard's wounds aren't self-inflicted, but are all his fault. He's sitting on the lawn of the local cemetery, pouring himself a light drink, not because he wants to be there- but because he's got friends there, and he can't drink at the funeral. So, it helps if you've been there, too. This isn't music for wallowing in it, or for putting up some romantic front- this is the music of those who survive, whatever it is that that means, and are glad to have survived, but sad at the reason why it's called survival.

I'm not trying to make you interested. You don't have to earn the right to listen to Leonard Cohen, but if you are interested, and if you feel like he's earned the right to sing the blues, then, yes, I believe there are great rewards to be found here.

Leonard speaks the things I cannot, and sees the things I'm blinded by, while being kind enough to let me catch little glimpses. He allows me access to wisdom I haven't earned. He's been doing that for years. This isn't any different. My favorites are the one-two combination of "Darkness" and "Anyhow", but the end caps are the likely hits- Going Home and Different Sides are likely to show up on hipster playlists for the next few years. It's all amazingly perfect for me, though.

Words fail me

2012-02-01T17:18:00.001-08:00

Don Cornelius. My son's middle name is partially derived from the man. Absolutely depressing. I hope there's another world for Don. I suspect that there isn't, and he knew there was nothing in store for him but pain, so I respect his decision, but it still really makes me sad.

Looking forward

2012-01-21T07:17:00.000-08:00

I am really looking forward to a few upcoming releases- primarily, Mark Lanegan's Blues Funeral, but also Sleigh Bell's Reign of Terror, Leonard Cohen's Old Ideas and Dead Ending (AOF,Rise Against, Alkaline Trio and the Bomb? Wow!)

Howdy

2012-01-14T19:14:00.000-08:00

Just an update. Musically, not much to report. The only thing new is a copy of last year's "Here Holy Spain- Division" which is basically sub-Bronx rawkin' punk. It's worth a listen, but not much worth discussing.Oh, and also from last year- Night Birds- the Other side of Darkness. Thrashy, poppy Surf Punk. Sounds like it could be from OC circa 1982. Which is good, but unremarkable.

What is worth discussing is my new television options- I've had cable TV, but other than already mentioned TV shows, I don't talk about my cable TV options. So, before, I had the 5 or 6 broadcast TV networks, about 20 basic cable networks, HBO and Cinemax. My wife called up this past week and was looking to drop Cinemax since we weren't watching it. In doing so, she signed us up to get 5 or 6 broadcast channels, and 40 basic cable channels, with HBO. This means I've got IFC, Sundance, 4 MTV variants, Fuse, and Indieplex. Apart from a game or two of Football ( American and actual Football) that's what I've been watching. It's been great. tonight, alone, I've watched The Devil's Rejects, Eraserhead and From Dusk Till Dawn. Very nice!

I do have new movies- really, just one new movie, in two parts- Mesrine Killer Instinct and Public Enemy #1. I've been fascinated with Jacques Mesrine since I was a teenager and read about his assassination in 1980. A charismatic psychopath, he was an escape artist, and gangster, and thief and killer- but I find him interesting, nonetheless. Evidently, Vincent Cassell thinks so as well because he makes Mesrine almost human- but with enough flashes of rage and menace that you know this is a very bad person to know. As a film, it's excellent- French films seem to always look great, it's just the plots that suck. By following a real life, we avoid that problem. The main flaw would be that unless you have read Mesrine's book, it might seem disjointed and random- in order to fit an entire adult life as detailed in existing documents, they've chosen to get all the details they could on specific events, and leave out the intervening time, so it helps a lot to know those intervening events, but if you don't it's still a watchable film- I verified that by watching it with my wife who didn't know Jacques Mesrine from Jacques Pepin, and she enjoyed it.

I know I wasn't going to talk tech, but I'm still enjoying the Sandisk Clip+, and have added a 16 gb micro SD card- still incredibly easy to use, still delivering everything I need in an MP3 player

You know, I'm a pretty regular guy- I know this. My tastes are unique, but all of our tastes are unique. I'm fairly smart, but so are you. So, if I cannot introduce you to new concepts, and cannot amuse you or evoke your sentimentality, why would I write any of this? Well, it's because I'm a regular guy- I'm hoping that by writing this that you can introduce me to your unique tastes that happen to coincide with mine. My other blog is just my thoughts, but this one is my hope- I hope that if people can share those areas where they are not "mass" the connections that they have to culture, whether popular or not- we can expose the fact that mass culture is a myth.

Which brings me to my favorite myth going around, right now- that rock has been superceded by dance music. If I go by pop radio, and pop culture magazines, it would appear to be so. Well, first of all, Rock music is dance music. This division is entirely false, and if you don't believe me, ask Chuck Berry or Little Richard or Ike Turner. But secondly, just because there hasn't been some new "scene" developed in America that confirms preconceived notions about what is Rock music, I'm supposed to believe that the form is moribund? That's exactly how short-sighted "mass culture" is, though. Just because they haven't heard the music coming out of Europe, and just because American Enormo-domes are booked by acts that they have labelled as "hip hop" or "electronica", They're stating that we, the 'masses' have changed our tastes- but we're still listening to the same mix of so-called "country", "rock', "rap" and other music- and as long as that's true- it's just silly to talk about a genre losing relevance.

Finally; Culture also includes Food, right? Well, another thing that was really worthwhile was getting lunch at Lunchbox, which is Voltaggio's latest project. Not to be a snob, but I still prefer Volt, easily- however, as opposed to going to McDonald's? Lunchbox wins, easily. Local, handmade, cheap and quality? Yes, please.

So, Hi, there. I'm still living just fine. I'll write about what I like, because that's what I do, but it might not be regular...

A Paucity of opportunity

2012-01-06T20:09:00.000-08:00

Seriously, I don't see a whole of good new music in the next few weeks, and it's been a few weeks since I've heard anything new to turn my head. I'm definitely open to any suggestions, but I'm doing just fine as it is. I've got TV - a new episode of Portlandia, even tonight. I've got books- I've got a backlog of about 15 books. I've got movies on DVD- I just got Richet's Mesrine epic, both 1 and 2, no less. If that isn't enough, I've semi-converted from Apple for my music technology. After the Itunes epic fail, I started checking out other options, and, in doing so, have tried out alternatives to the Ipod, as well. Where I'm at now is this- I've kept my 16gb Nano, and have doubletwist to maintain that, but I've also got a Sandisk Sansa Clip+ to supplement, and I'm really happy with it. Sound-wise, It's as good. More bass, but the treble is a bit mushy, whereas the Ipod always had weak bass, and good treble. Size and function are a bit better than the Ipod, as in, the size is a bit smaller, and the actual buttons are more intuitive, and I do not miss the picture screen at all, actually preferring to have as minimal a display as I do- but still having a display, unlike the shuffle. The interface with the computer is so much better than Ipod- it's drag and drop. I haven't yet figured out how to copy from CD, but I know there must be a way. The tech support is awful, but the possibility of expanding the memory is exciting- you can add up to 32 gb by adding a micro SD card. The player cost about 30 us dollars, and more memory would be about another 10-30 depending upon how much I wanted. So, for 60 USD I could have 18 times the memory of a shuffle, with better functionality. Considering the Shuffle costs about 50 USD, I'd say I know which way I'm leaning. I'm not all the way sold, but it's certainly keeping me entertained.

So the lack of new tunes is mildly annoying but only mildly. There's not as much to blog about which is why the blog might seem a bit...desolate. Over the next day or two I'll try to put something up about what I've been reading and watching, because I'm not much for writing about straight tech. There's been a lot of that lately for me- stuff like new headphones, and clock radios, and software suites (Sennheiser, Panasonic, and Open Office, a modern man's shopping list) but while I like all that stuff, I'm not very good at conveying what's good about it. So this'll be the last tech-heavy post unless there's something truly inspiring...

A new leaf

2011-12-31T05:36:00.000-08:00

So in America, we always seem to be screwing up, then trying to get a fresh start, or a second chance, or a new opportunity. I'm sure there are self help type books about why that is, and why it's right, but I'm not real keen on second chances, myself. In my own life, I'm constantly making mistakes, poor attempts, bad judgements, and so on. I'm also getting some things right, and, crazy as I may be, I think that's a better path. Not all one way or the other- you might be a drug addict who's a brilliant songwriter, or a great accountant who's lousy to women, or whatever, but rather than looking for a "do over" what you need to do is concentrate more on what you're good at, and less on what makes you suck. Oh, you'll still suck. We all do, all the time. But by trying to do what we do best, we make up for it, a little bit. That strikes me as far more reasonable than some mythical "second try".

So, why am I getting all 'Dr Phil" on you? Because I've been reading biographies in the past week. I've been reading "American Demon" by Jack Grisham, "Violence Girl" by Alicia Velasquez (Alice Bag) and "My Booky Wook" by Russell Brand. All three approach the issue of screwing up in different manners, and, well, you'll be able to tell which one I like best, easily.

I know Jack. I wouldn't call us "friends", because I don't think he'd know my name, but he'd recognize my face. Jack supposedly has written the fictional biography of a demon living in America. What's closer to the truth is these are his story, based upon how he sees himself these days. On the one hand, he joyfully accepts responsibility of all the horrible things he's done. Yes, some are horrible- attempted murder happens fairly frequently. Like I said, I know Jack, and yes, he really has been one of the most dangerous guys around, so please don't think he's exaggerating. He's also witty, funny, a brilliant front man for any band he's in, and a real romantic who really wants to see the world as a better place. He isn't looking for a second chance, as it were, so much as he's looking for a chance. Half the time, that's a chance to do real harm, but other times, it's a chance to do real good. He's exploiting the trope that we all write fictions of ourselves, and that's very true. Whatever I am, I'll never know the objective truth about myself. But, there's still a distance between him and the awful things he's done, because he's fictionalized it as this "demon'. The truth is that he's a thug, with a good mind. An entertaining thug, but a thug, nonetheless.

If you look over to your left, you might note that I know Alice/Alicia. We have met face to face, and she might know my name but these would be separate events. I saw The Bags, and the Alice Bag band at places like the Vex in Los Angeles, in the late 1970's and early 1980's. They were amoung the very first tastes of rock and roll of any stripe I ever had. You have to understand, I'm in my mid-forties, now, so mathwise, that means there weren't a lot of concert opportunities for me pre-1977, in that it was still unacceptable for pre-teens to go unaccompanied to arenas or bars, in those days. Fortunately, I was very tall at a relatively young age ( I was almost adult height by 10, and the same height as now by 13) so, when I was 13 I did start passing for 18 and could go to places on my own. So, I was a face in the crowd at that time, and ran into her on the internet, only in the past few years.

So, why the diversion down memory lane? Because I've already read "Violence Girl' as blog posts on her blog of the same name, and I've now read it as a book, and what's more, I saw a few bits of it, firsthand. I think her truth is the closest to my truth of the three. Things happen, both good and bad, and while some bad things get punished in subtle ways, and some good things get rewarded in tiny ways, mostly things just play out. Hers is less a tale of redemption than it is of re-invention. She learns along the way to concentrate on her strengths and play less into the hands of her weaknesses. She doesn't exactly forgive those who have wronged her, but she learns to understand them. Definitely no 'second acts" here. I like that. It's all the first act. I only wish I'd been a bit more of her type, and a bit less of a wallflower when she was a real wild child, because while were both in good places,now, etc- it'd be really cool to say that I knew her back then- even if we both still have regrets about those times, I think she's never been anyone's regret, and I wish I could say the same, but I think she's able to make even a loser freak like me come across as more interesting. So, yes, better written, as well. Easily the best of the three books, and that is a matter of perspective- her perspective. It's better than Jack who avoids the typical "new leaf' cliches, but still excuses and distances himself.

Then, there's Russell Brand. I actually like some of his comedy, and I think he's interesting and smarter than expected for a celebrity. But he traffics in the worst of the cliches. Oh I was terrible, but it was terribly fun, but I'm all right now. He even called a comedy show 'Better now". So, why did i read it? Because he can be funny. That's it, really. I wouldn't want to know him. His life sounds like Jack's minus the violence, and, not to be too American, but I am of the sort that Violence was always a more likely sort of trouble for me than Sex. Even so, if he enjoyed it all so much as he very apparently did, as he rhapsodizes about his drugs and paid-for sex, then how am I to believe that he's "better', now? It's bullshit, one way or the other,and I think both.

See, that's the thing with these "new leafs"- it's bullshit one way or the other. Either you weren't having any fun, or you aren't having any fun, now. I had very little fun when I was doing things I don't do now- that's why I don't do them, now. There's no change in me, as a person. No sudden epiphany.

Let me give you an example because it's most recent ( if only very petty and minor). I gave up coffee. Were there times when I loved coffee? You bet. But, I have a lousy gut, and I gave up coffee because it was no longer any good to drink a cup, and have wrenching gut and chest pain for 3 hours afterwards. No fun in that at all. So, I gave up coffee. There's no wistfully thinking about the days when I drank coffee. There's no admitting that coffee was more powerful than me. No tearful confessions about what my love for coffee made me do. I just got sick, and quit. There you go. Done. I didn't need a new life, I just needed to have more fun.

So, it's New Year's eve, where I'm typing, now. That's my thought for New Year's eve- Auld Lang Syne. You know the words- For auld lang syne, my jo, for auld lang syne- we'll take a cup of kindness yet- for auld lang syne. That's the way I see the world-we are little but our memories, and if we cannot accept our memories, we cannot accept our lives. If we cannot accept our lives they become painful fictions- they will be fictions in any case, but the real goal is less about truth and more about minimizing pain. Yeah, I'm deep like that, yo....

A few Thoughts on Crossover

2011-12-23T19:52:00.000-08:00

So, it's almost Christmas, thus my thoughts naturally turn to Metal. Yeah, right.

Actually, I've been reading "This Ain't the Summer of love" by Steve Waksman, and while it's not the worst bit of music criticism disguised as cultural anthropology I've ever read, it is merely that- this is just his way of writing about some bands he likes, and he managed to get it into book form because he got some grants from a few universities. His point is that Metal and Punk are connected, and while he's not wrong, he misses a whole lot; not the least of which goes something like this: His title is from a Blue Oyster Cult song. In the late 1970's, Blue Oyster Cult collaborated with Patti Smith, and their in-house producer, Sandy Pearlman, also produced the Clash's 2nd LP. The song in question "This ain't the Summer of love' shares a riff with Mudhoney's "Swallow my Pride", and a big song for BOC, "Godzilla" was very similar to a few Nirvana riffs, including "Smells Like Teen Spirit"... That's off the top of my head- I could get deeper, easily, but I don't think Waksman could, seeing as he's just a recovering "Hessian' ( Los Angeles punk rock slang for Metal head)

Anyway, enough about the book because it's just my jumping off point. Punk and Metal clearly are closely related, but mostly because they're both hard rock, and roughly contemporary. However, I'm a pretty big fan of punk, and really not such a big fan of Metal. That's more what I want to discuss.

See, I know I've mentioned metal on this blog, and on previous blogs and even in printed articles, and so, it might seem like I'm some kind of metal head, but I'm not and the reasons are many. I'm not a big believer in Virtuosos. I'm not impressed by speed picking, hammer ons and the like. I know plenty of music theory, and I can play well enough that I've passed for professional, but I just don't care for the whole notion that sheer technical prowess is musically more worthy. Shredding just doesn't mean much to me. Likewise, I don't give a rats ass about Frodo or the Devil. Fantasy and occult lyrics mean less than nothing to me. I don't like long hair, bullet belts, or black leather, either. Spandex is best left to strippers and pro-wrestlers. On top of all that, there inevitably is something... vaguely trashy about metal, in an unappealling way. What I mean is, ummm, well, let's do this by way of a story. Most socialists struggle a bit with the dichotomy between wanting to do what's best for "the masses" and the short-comings of those same 'masses". I had a friend who resolved this dichotomy by dividing up the Proletariat between the proles and the "lumpen Proletariat". I disagree, respectfully, but I can see what he meant. That's the kind of problem I've got with Metal- it always seems to lead to ignorant hickoid trash, of the least amusing kind- racists, close minded bigots, sexist pigs, etc. Do I have to bring up Zakk Wylde, or were you already there with me? I can deal with Cat Scratch Fever, but do I have to take Ted Nugent, too? See what I'm getting at?

So, almost reflexively, the only Metal I like shares some kind of 'crossover" with Punk. I can deal with the aforementioned Blue Oyster Cult in that their music fits in, at least in enough ways, with the detroit "Proto punk' style. I'm ok with Tru$T, and, very early Iron Maiden, because DiAnno was a bit of a punk, and hell, Jimmy Pursey even got thrown into the mix (East Enders, all). Likewise, bands like Kylesa and Torche have roots in Southern Crust punk, and it shows enough that I like them.

And what do I have to say about Motorhead? Isn't it obvious that they're as much a Punk band as a Metal band?

If you are a big Metal head, I know we share some musical tastes, but there are some points of divergence, and I'm bringing up that divergence because Waksman reminded me-

ultimately, the reason why I'm not real keen on Metal comes down to this- the divide isn't academic. When someone throws a punch at you, either for liking a band he doesn't, or for not liking a band he does, or, horrors, for both, it tends to turn you off to everything that clown likes. Well, I had more than a few punches thrown at me from Metal heads. Everything beyond that is just icing on the cake of hate. If Waksman missed anything important, it's that- there were plenty of real, not verbal fights between punks and Metal heads in the 80's. I haven't forgotten that, so I still have a bit of a grudge against Metal as a genre....

I don't Do "Best Of" Lists

2011-12-18T06:16:00.000-08:00

However, I've not put anything new under your nose in awhile. Why that is would be a combination of three factors; 1. I'm too busy working two jobs, and taking care of a household, and buying stuff for other people. 2. Really, music-wise, book-wise, and Film-wise, there hasn't been anything in the past month or so that really spoke to me. Now, TV, on the other hand- Boardwalk Empire is AMAZING! you must watch it at your earliest convenience. The acting? Michael Shannon, and Michael Pitt were just ungodly good. Steve Buscemi actually isn't playing Steve Buscemi. This is something harder, and more menacing. I like it. Gretchen Mol has finally redeemed herself from that horrible Bettie page movie, and is playing a vicious psycho who reminds me of my ex-wife ( and how's that for playing the villian?) and Kelly Macdonald finally, finally, Finally pays off that promised she showed in Trainspotting. The production? Hell, this is the most beautiful depiction of the prohibition era since prohibition. Just absolutely gorgeous. It blows away stuff like the Coen Brothers' attempts (Millers Crossing, and O, Brother) and yes, the Godfather flicks.The story is very loosely based upon the real-life Enoch Johnson, and, yes, some of the fun is in the docu-drama aspect, but there has been enough variation on real life that I'm rivetted to my seat- and nothing hammered in those rivets more than the season finale. I won't give you any spoilers, but I will say that the real-life counterpart to a major character was very much alive into the 1970's- so the point is that there are no rules- the story will play out, and what a story it is. Basically, it imagines a noirish world in which all are corrupt, and the only real nobility is if your corruption serves the greater good. In terms of plot, it centers around the efforts of Enoch 'Nucky" Thompson to run Atlantic City at the time when it was the Vice Capital of the USA. Beyond that, you can google it. But, hey, I'm getting distracted.... I'm just meaning to say the Boardwalk Empire has been the sole new pop culture thing to really catch me since the beginning of december.

So, since I don't do best of lists, since that would imply that I've not only got taste, but that my tastes are worth emulating, I'm just giving you a list of the 15 musical releases I've listened to the most this year. All are truly spectacular, and I think all are worth your time. Of course there's no hierarchy, and, of course, I listened to other stuff, but I just dumped itunes, and I happened to notice what had been most played, and these were the 2011 releases:

Gang of Four- Content

Ringo Deathstarr- Colour Trip

The Pains of Being Pure at Heart- Belong

The United Sons of Toil-When the Revolution comes, Everything will be Beautiful

Pandoras. Box- Monomeet

Wire- Red Barked Tree

Ritual-Paper Skin

Red Fang- Murder the Mountains

Cute Lepers- Adventure Time

dEUS- Keep you Close

Kasabian- Velociraptor!

Wild-Flag-Wild Flag

Lydia Loveless- Indestructible Machine

Wilco- the Whole Love

Coliseum-Parasites (ep)

Most of them should be available at Amazon, and Bandcamp. There's your christmas list if you don't already have them.

Giving Doubletwist a whirl

2011-12-16T19:30:00.001-08:00

As the title states, I'm trying Doubletwist as an alternative to Itunes. It's... different, so far. Uploading was a freakin' breeze, and compatability doesn't appear to be an issue. I mean, 2000 songs uploaded in 10 minutes, that's not bad. And I lost no artwork, or whatever. playlists are organized a bit different, and I'm still learning there. It's easier just to right click and play in Windows Media player (which,by the way, sounds pretty good via headphones- seriously, I've not had bass response like this in quite awhile. Some of the highs are a bit mushy, but I've gotten fairly used to a pretty tinny sound, so I might be adjusting)
We're not quite at the Honeymoon, here, but not a bad introduction.

Except when I don't

2011-12-15T16:43:00.000-08:00

Well, Apple, it was fun for a little bit. I'm done with you. Safari was a good browser, and I really liked my Ipod, but I was never the biggest fan of Itunes, and, now, with the Icloud, Ping, Home sharing crap, I view your products as a threat to my well being.
See, I got this shiny new laptop, and it really is shiny and new, all silvery and speedy. Then, I tried to upload itunes on. First, it wouldn't let me download it. Seems my shiny new laptop is a bit too shiny and new for anything but the absolute latest version of Itunes, the one that comes preloaded to operate on the cloud. Which would be OK if it retained functionality, but it didn't. See, I couldn't access my library. Worse yet, when I tried to access through Home sharing, I got someone else's library. Yes, I couldn't believe that either! I mean, I was using my information. My username, my password, my email address, the works, and yet, there I was, staring down a list of bad Nu-metal and pop country tunes owned by what I can only presume is a girl in dire need of therapy - and Amy K, if you ever stumble across my email that I sent you, before you delete it because you think I'm some kind of Nigerian Prince scam, I wish you the best of luck, and whoever is the guy who made you so hurt and angry, he's not worth it.
But, Apple, things got worse. I was still trying to make it work. After all, I'd invested so much time and money in you. Somewhere in the neighbourhood of 800 songs purchased, not to mention the hardware, and all the time spent trying to recover from previous crashes, glitches, and problems. But, you were unavailable. No easy access to a help desk, unless I gave you a product code, but there is no product code to itunes, is there? I had a certainty inside that it wouldn't work. But I finally found a few places to email, and so I did.
Then, I heard back from you. More precisely, from Theresa. Theresa, I know you're just working a shit job. I know this because one of my jobs isn't so very different from yours. Theresa, I know you need information to do your job, but you don't need the personal data that you were asking for. I'm not going to sell out Amy K, either. On top of that, my kaspersky LIT UP every time I opened one of your emails. Worms, trojans, viruses: you're carrying more threats than a Somali hooker with a poorly made AK. It was then that my heart turned and hardened. I realized how bad our relationship has been.
I will find love again. I know I will. One of my real friends will set me up. When I fall in Love, I'm doggedly loyal, and I'm shameless in promoting. When I love something, or someone, I love them all the way, except when I don't. Then, I leave them behind me like excrement. Worth nothing but disgust. Yes, Apple you disgust me. Go fellate Jobs' corpse, you cancerous piece of trash. I mean it. Just like that. You've betrayed me for the last time. I won't trust you, and I don't like you. I hope that effing Coby electronics outsells you. I hope that someone hacks your new Iphone, and makes your operating system a cheap concubine for Russian Mobsters. Go die.

mmm mmm I luuuv technology

2011-12-13T19:05:00.000-08:00

So, still setting up the new computer. Actually, two computers. I got a Dell Inspirion as the "home" computer, meaning that it belongs mostly to my wife, but I can use it, too. She's got a netbook, and an HP Laptop for her use, as well. But, what I'm typing on is my new Toshiba Satellite. I got a rather low end model, nearly discontinued- one of the 4 gig, 2 ghz 755 models. Why? Well because I actually trust Toshiba. As far as corporate behemoths go, they're not so evil. But also because they make relatively reliable stuff. So, why go so low end? Because, so long as I've got a decent dvd/blu ray drive, and enough memory to run IE and Open Office, and a few USB ports, I don't need anything more. Really, I probably could have managed with a 2 Gig version, but then, it's a 1.6 ghz processing speed, and I'm used to have about 2ghz speed, and this one was en vente, at a muy bien price. The idea is to keep processes to a minimum, on the hard drive, and keep everything on external drives. Also, I'm OK with Microsoft, I've got good friends who work at Microsoft, but I was almost convinced to go mac, based upon how horrible Vista was, and how clunky MS office was becoming. Can I say that I hated it? Yeah, pretty much. So, I wasn't going to go full bore PC. I can still run IE happily, and Windows 7 is back up to snuff. Certainly not better than a Mac, but not so much worse. But, Office, I'm done with. I like Open office so far, and yes, I've got friends at Oracle, as well. I do have google chrome preloaded on this sucker, so there's always that option, as well. The only other "big" thing, is that I'm going to have to download Itunes on here. I'm worried about that, a bit. I've got somewhere around 1600 songs on 11 CDS to load, and we'll see how that works.
But, in the meantime, I've got, essentially, a netbook, with word processing, a blu-ray player, and a cool wireless mouse, and decent 25 watt speakers, at under the price of an IPad. So, yeah, so far, so good.

I've been away

2011-12-11T16:15:00.000-08:00

No, I'm not dead. Just busy. And somewhat bummed out. And well, typing this on a new computer, which says that yes, the old one is dead. So, while I can't say I'll be putting up a whole lot of posts in the near future, but there might be some forthcoming. Again, if somebody tells you "But we really need to have you" for a second job, really consider if you need them.

Never let me down

2011-11-17T20:33:00.000-08:00

Yes, I've got stuff to say- but no time to say it in. On top of my insane work schedule, I've got relatives visiting in short order. So I really cannot post much. I know that this lets down the entire world, as I've been posting so consistently lately (sarcasm can be printed, you just have to know the author).

So, just a thought to tide me over- I have two main jobs, right now. Bothare basically servicing the needs of rather wealthy people. Without getting too deep into it, you know that line in Fight Club- We watch you while you sleep- well, it's true. I get compensated middle class wages, which is good. But, I'm seen as being part of the machines I operate- these people depend on me, and don't realize it. For example, a very big reality TV star uses my services. I'm not stupid, so I know what they are doing, and so, I don't need the tabloids, I do know their secrets, and probably could make a mint by spilling said secrets. But, then, I'd have to live with myself, and quite frankly, it's against my sense of propriety to divulge these things I know. But, it irks me that so many wealthy people are so utterly base, debased, venal, and crapty humans. have you seen what Spencer Pratt wrote? It's ironic, because he's basically flogging a book, probably so's he'll get some additional fame and fortune, but what he says about the commercial nature of all things celebrity is dead on the money (all puns intended). If you buy into the celebrity culture, you're literally buying in, and I'm warning you now, it's a sick game where you'll never get what they promised you.

Alt Country?

2011-11-13T16:59:00.000-08:00

More of a by-the-bye than a real post: you may have noticed some "alt country" in my tastes. I hate that term. Rocknroll, by its very nature is a mix between the blues and country. It wasn't just white people playing the blues- especially because the guys who pioneered it, like Ike Turner and Little Richard were black. It was incorporating what was around- so, from the gaelic and Scots high country interpreting American Swing you derive American Western Swing, then, add some Latino cowboy chords, and you get the kind of Country that people heard- hillbilly music. You add that to the gospel, and jazz derived blues formats, and you get rocknroll. If it was just White guys playing the blues and not a real mix, it'd be a lot slower, and a lot more modal- less open and major chords...

For me, then, Rocknroll inherently has a country element. I've been hearing it since I was a boy, and it was that lack of the electrified country tempo that was killing my love for music in the late seventies. I don't hate the disco beat, and I like funk. I'm ok even with the blues, but minus that hillbilly shuffle, and it gets pretty flaccid.

For me, therefore, a lot of what gets called "alt country" just sounds like rocknroll to me. I've been listening to it about as long as anything else- starting with True West, and then, the Americana side of the Dream Syndicate, and the more pronounced "Death Country" (Thanks George, for that term) of Thin White Rope, all the way back in 1984-85, going through stuff that actually made the country charts like Dwight Yoakam and the Mavericks, into Uncle Tupelo, and Son Volt and Wilco, to the present day, it's always been a part of what I listen to (oh, and bear in mind, I'm skipping over the " Cowpunk" of bands in Los Angeles- everyone from Los Lobos, The Minutemen, The Gun Club, to the Blasters, and X, as I just think of all that as Punk Rock, not even rocknroll)- so much like Alternative rock- Alternative to What?? It's just rocknroll to me....

Hybrid Moments

2011-11-13T09:24:00.001-08:00

So, the past couple of days, I've been listening to what might get called hybrid music- for example, Lydia Loveless and her country/punk stylings. I'm not sure if I really think of this stuff as hybrid music. I mean, right this second, I'm listening to "Old Folks Boogie" by Jack Oblivian, from his new one "Rat City". I can hear the memphis R&B and the early 1970's rock and soul connection, and I can hear the Crypt/Sympathy for the Record Industry garage-rock production, where treble is clarity, and bass is blur. So, I know that it's got hybrid characteristics, but it still sounds whole to me, following its own thing. I mean, without the labels, I'd just think of it as a particularly funky garage boogie. For yet more clarity, I've been listening to Mariachi El Bronx II, which most folks classify as "The Bronx playing Mariachi music". But, it's not straight Mariachi music, at least not traditional Mariachi music. It's not the Rocking thrash punk that the Bronx specialize in, either. It's too uptempo to be Mariachi, but the instrumentation isn't rock. So, is that a hybrid between the two, or is it something new? I'm not sure. It's not a goof on traditional music, like how I get the feeling that Hayseed Dixie is a goof on both Ac/Dc and bluegrass. Let's not forget that Rocknroll is a "hybrid" to begin with, and rarely stays pure even to that supposed blend (Country and Blues). Of course, it's tempting to say it's all just "music", and who needs labels , Maaaaaan. But, that isn't honest, either, because Mariachi El Bronx has little in common with Jack Oblivian nor Lydia Loveless. So, what is it, a hybrid, or a flavour? a colouring? a shade? a mix? a mash up? Hard to say, hard to say....

BLAAARG!

2011-11-09T19:06:00.001-08:00

So, it's the time of year where I start to get grouchy. Not really seasonally affected, just grouchy. See, Christmas is coming soon, and my office is near a mall. So, I have to put up with about ten times the bad driving than I normally do. Also, because of the increased commute time, it means I do see the sun very little (less than 20 minutes in a day). On top of that, the forced festiveness of the season makes me irritated, as well. So, grouchy, yes. Depressed, no.

This is why I start looking for more aggressive music about this time. I'm just as big a fan of the other Arts, but music is for my emotional states, more than my philosophical stance, or my need for human connection ( though everything plays into everything; I'm not suffering from too much alienation)

So, here's three new bits of aggression that have been an appropriate soundtrack to my commute.

First is Lydia Loveless' "Indestructible Machine" which I have mentioned at least once before. Really, it's suiting me very well- it's country punk, but not like you think. This is more like The Clash running into Loretta Lynn, than some naff Eagles with distortion. Lydia's characters are alcoholics, pure and simple. Her voice is right up there with Lucinda Williams in the authenticity bracket, even if her songwriting isn't that great, yet, but her band makes up for it in pure drunken passion. I'm impressed.

Second is the new Coliseum EP, "Parasites". Wow, these guys just go from strength to strength. Stoner rock, Punk, hardcore, and edgy postpunk beat up in a blender with a handful of railroad spikes. If you like at least two of those genres, you should at least give them a listen. I've said before how they're a great fit for my musical tastes, and i stand by that, here. This is exactly what I want to hear when I just got cut off by some grandma in a minivan, talking on her archival cellphone.

Finally, we've got Poland's Joe Sixpack, with their new one "Riders of the Bomb". Yup, it's hardcore. Complete with strained vocals, and sloppy musicianship. The songs squeal, thrash, and wander, just the way I want hardcore to be. Aggressive, self-indulgent, and immature- like a temper tantrum. very nice, I like it.

Gwar News

2011-11-05T06:46:00.000-07:00

I know it might seem a bit out-of-character, but yes, I was a scumdog. So, it's pretty sad to hear that Cory's dead. I wouldn't say we were close friends, but I know many in the Smoot family, and some are good friends. Very sad to hear, really. No, there's no joke, no punchline, no point. That's how life is- things happen, then, arbitrary as it seems, you die. Bummer, huh?

The Janes Addiction/Wilco Deathmatch!!!!

2011-11-04T19:13:00.000-07:00

Ok, ok, not really. But, because I bought both in the same week, I can't help comparing and contrasting.

The comparison is that both bands have settled into a comfortable middle age. Both have mellowed out. I don't think that Dave Navarro is in any danger of overdosing in a club bathroom, and I don't think Jeff Tweedy is going to blow his brains out- so, when I say "mellowed out", I guess I mean "have rejoined humanity". Both Albums sound relaxed and confident as compared to earlier, and you'd think that would be a good thing.

I think the contrast comes in based upon how suitable "mellowing out" is for each band. For Wilco, with their Electronic/Americana blend, it's a great fit. Dialing down the angst means that you get a chance to enjoy the melodies, and understand that they're enjoying them too. The themes still have spiked bits about loss, death, alienation, and existential dread, but from a more abstract view. There's still room for Nels to wig out, but it reads more like jokes between friends, than stubborn refusals to roll over.

Meanwhile, Jane's Addiction were dark Rock gods- the debauched sons of Led Zep, with Bauhaus theatrics. They don't sound like monsters of their Id, anymore, and that means they are now? what? Former monsters. Caged Rock beasts. Retired and toothless sleaze alligators. It's just not the right fit. We all like it when our depressed friend cheers up a bit, but do we really like it when the stripper's DJ decides to play weddings and Bar Mitzvahs? The comfort they radiate is less that of friendship and communal effort, and more about financial stability. There are parts that sound like the worst of U2- when they're coasting on formula. There are moments that call forth the primal ooze of their libidos, but precious little bodily fluids get spilled, least of all, blood, and, quite frankly, they suffer from becoming well adjusted middle aged businessmen.

I'd be remiss if I didn't mention what's not there- Wilco had Jay Bennett, and Jane's Addiction had Eric Avery. Wilco seems to have benefited from removing the conflict that Bennett brought, since towards the end, all he brought was conflict and Janes Addiction just isn't they same band without Eric Avery fighting against Perry and Dave. His contributions gave the songs thrust, and subversion by countering the more conventional stylings of Dave's Van Halenisms and the melodrama of Perry's histrionics.

So, yes, in this Deathmatch, Wilco wins. Even down to the titles- The Whole Love can be read two ways- as the entire love, or as the healthy love. The Great Escape Artist can be read two ways, as well- as Harry Houdini, or as a vacation planner ( an Artist at "great escapes"). Which would you rather listen to?

Now this is news

2011-11-03T17:30:00.000-07:00

Remember back in the 1980's, before MTV News took the bassline, Megadeth's Peace Sells? Remember the part in the video when the kids says "This is the news!"? Yeah, good times... Well, I'm not a fan of Atari Teenage Riot, and the songs is a second-rate Rage against The Machine pastiche, but I like the video for Black Flags, because it is the news...

Twit

2011-11-02T20:54:00.000-07:00

Yes, I've got a twitter account. But I'm JAFO on there. (Look it up. JAFO, that is. My handle on Twitter is @MattMaxVan )

Yes, on one level, totally sold out. But I still don't plan on "tweeting" and I still think Twitter is a degrading concept that will further erode us as human beings- and no, I'm not saying that facetiously, as some kind of hyperbolic humour. I really think it's bad for you, as a person, the same way I think that wine coolers are bad for you as a person, or the same way that I think USA Today is bad for journalists, as journalists. It's crap that lowers the standards. But, I can't watch the decay from afar, so I got an account, and followed some folks. There. let's watch the empire fall, shall we?

In place of a post

2011-11-02T20:24:00.000-07:00

Here's a life lesson for you: next time somebody asks you to work a second job, say no, if you can.

Yeesh, I've been ultra busy. However, I thought I'd drop a line or two.

I've bought some new releases. I hate none of it, but I'm surprised by what I like more and less. I bought both the new Jane's Addiction, and the new Wilco. Strangely enough, I'm in love with the new Wilco, and just like the new Jane's Addiction. Also, I got Lydia Loveless' Indestructible Machine, and it's pretty satisfying, as is the Boardwalk Empire soundtrack. I didn't really expect that out of either one. I expected Loveless to have a couple of decent sub-Lucinda Williams type alt-country grinders, and the Boardwalk soundtrack to be pale imitations of the gutsy music of the roaring 20's. Instead, Lydia Loveless does a fairly fresh take on Country punk, and the Boardwalk Empire soundtrack has pretty authentic takes on some vintage songs.

Speaking of Boardwalk Empire, I'm more and more impressed by Michael Shannon, and I really dig that they've spent a few episodes dealing with honest appraisals of race and politics in America. It's absolutely must-see stuff, so if you don't have HBO, or you live somewhere without the show, I really would suggest you at least rent or otherwise obtain the DVD when it comes out. This is what television should be.

I'm also watching the Walking Dead. I've liked it a lot, but with the new episodes deviating from the comic book, it's getting into much more morally interesting ground. Seriously, I'm intrigued by some of the philosophical quandaries presented and could see how it could be a good teaching tool for a sophomore philosophy class, somewhere.

So, I will post, soon, don't forget about me, I just have to find some time.

Foodie

2011-10-23T17:11:00.000-07:00

I don't know if I'm qualified for restaurant reviews. I've never been the best at judging food, and the highest job I ever had in the food service industry was as Prep cook at Scordato's.

But, I do like food, and food is definitely something that helps define a culture, and is one of the easiest ways to go out on the "long tail"- so, it's part of my mission statement here. So, if I screw this up entirely, please have mercy- I know I'm not a food critic.

I've heard people disrespect our local restaurants, and, frankly, I don't understand why. We've got some Zagat rated restaurants, a renowned Wine scene, a top-selling microbrewery, and even celebrity chefs. But, so be it, I guess. I still like some places around here.

I mean, if you don't like Volt, I question your credentials. The Voltaggio brothers are nationally known, and Bryan has his finger directly on the pulse- he's into gourmet pork, local and seasonal offerings, and even can do the so-called molecular cooking. What could be more of-the-moment, eh? Well, despite all that- the food really is spectacular. Yes, I'm unafraid of spending cash on food. I've had 2 and 300 dollar bills for meals. So, no, it's not cheap- but I defy you to say that anything offends your palette.

On the other end of the cost spectrum, I was a massive fan of That Cuban place, now That Cuban Truck. I'm a slave to good yucca fries, and black beans and rice. It's a weakness.

I also like fusion cuisines, so, a few yards away from my home, I dig El Sloppy Taco. Yes, because Tex-Mex meets Memphis BBQ is an awesome idea.

I've written about it before, but I'm also a massive fan of the Doner Bistro . It's everything a good teutonic boy, like myself could want.

But, I'm not picky. I also dig the deli counter at The Common Market and at Wegman's. I can do without decor, hence my abiding love for the exploded potato at AKA Frisco's.

So, in that spirit of simplicity, but really amazing food, my latest random discovery is Haute Dogs & Fries in Purcellvile, VA. I had the Lamb sausage, sliders, fries, a brownie, and the owner brought over the Eskimo dog. Oh, my. Just plain awesome. The buns are butter covered then grilled to caramelize the outer edge. The meat was fresh and flavorful, the condiments, especially the mint sauce on the lamb were exquisite, and the the place was beyond friendly. Lionel is smart, and a good chef. He knows his area, and, like Bryan Voltaggio, won't stay a local secret for long. Though I didn't meet Patricia, I'm sure she has an equal flair. Are they out of the way? Well, look at a map. My wife and I found the place completely randomly, out of a photo safari, but I'm very, very happy we did. It's a seriously worthy contender as a restaurant, selling what could otherwise be consider street food.

My wife thinks that this area- between Frederick County, MD, Loudoun County, VA and Jefferson County, WVA is an under-rated hotspot. Well, food-wise, with places like the Haute Dog and Fries? I'm more than happy to agree. That, my friends, is exactly why we shouldn't tolerate mass culture.

A stopped Clock

2011-10-11T21:33:00.000-07:00

I've tried. A lot. I just don't care for St Vincent. However, Annie Clark's bunch did one good thing- the cover of Kerosene is pretty special. Still the master does it better.

Don't know much

2011-10-10T07:55:00.000-07:00

I don't know much about the Howling Bells, other than a cursory read-through on the Wikipedia, and hearing the new song on the NME site, which prompted an immediate purchase of their "The Loudest Engine". They play a pretty exquisite mix of blues-based country rock mixed with shoe-gazey psychedelia. I see people mentioning folk, and yes, there are accoustic guitars, but I'm thinking that might be some laziness on the journalists' part. I'm hearing something more akin to Black Rebel Motorcycle Club meets Mazzy Star, out at Rancho De La Luna. I'm prefectly willing to admit if I'm missing something, and I really don't know very much about the band, and I've not heard anything but this record-however, what more do I need to know than that I like it?

I will learn more, of course, but in the meantime, I think I'm going to listen...

The Orras- Skaing

2011-10-08T08:05:00.000-07:00

(The title is a joke based upon the first time I heard of The Horrors- that's my best attempt at a Surrey accent. Normally, I'm good with accents, of various stripes, as I've got an accent myself- I speak with a bit of an American Southwestern accent, a bit cowboy, a bit surfer- mixed with my Mum's strong Saskatoon accent, and a little bit of my Dad's Dutch accent, but the Southern English accent defies me. Hell, I'm good to go in Edinburgh, and Cork, equally- but in Surrey everyone has to say everything twice to me. So, the guy is listening to this ungodly noise, and I ask him what is that crap, and he says "Tha Orras" and I ask "The Oreos?" he replies "Na, mate, tha Orras" so I ask him to spell it. He's frustrated but he does, and I realize the silent Haitch. I find my stupidity funny.)

So, have you seen High Fidelity? With Cusack, doing his best to make Chicago seem like London, and breaking down the fourth wall every chance he gets? Yeah, I thought you had. So, you know that scene where they're listening to Kinky Wizards for the first time, and Jack Black sorrowfully says that they're good? Well, that's how I feel about the Horrors' new one "Skying". I hated the Horrors. But this record? It's pretty good. It's not excellent, change your life great, but it is pretty good. Which means, if you're so inclined, give it a shot. It's got a 4AD/Shoegaze type of feel, with slightly more pop songwriting. Reminds me of when Bassman from Spaceman 3 formed the Darkside, mixed with latter day Chameleons. So, yeah, good stuff. Very odd that they kept the name with that sound, and with the improvement in songwriting. I'd think they'd change the name and distance themselves from the garbage on their first record- and yes, it was pure garbage. I think part of the enjoyment, though, is hearing a truly wretched band find something good. That might be related to why I find my stupidity funny- I rather like reversals.

Wild Flag? Really, you're going with "Wild Flag"?

2011-10-05T17:31:00.001-07:00

Again proving the dictum about bad band name equals good band, I've been listening to Wild Flag. Yup, it's good. Former members of Helium, Sleater Kinney , the Minders and Quasi type good.

How to describe it? Well, I've been listening to The Knux, as well. The best metaophor for them, in my mind is the dude you meet at a party on coke. (As in, the dude is on coke. You don't really know him, but you meet him at a party, and you can just observe him, knowing that his problems are his own, but the entertainment belongs to you) The Knux try to mix really raw garagey kind of post punk guitars, with rap and Pop choruses, with the end result sounding like a good New Wave band, but nothing so deep that I can truly relate to it. It's basically entertainment, and nothing more.

Wild Flag, meanwhile is much more like hanging out with a few friends and some beers. I know that there are some issues there, and that makes hearing them have some fun all the better- just like when you can have a drink or two with friends. It's not as tied to amusement, but the enjoyment is more satisfying. They play Indie rock (big surprise, there, huh?) but they do this really neat thing where the guitars and keyboards lock up just slightly behind the beat- it means that they sounds relaxed, no matter how energetic the tempo might be, but they also sound like they're tied in together- again, like hanging out with friends. I'm becoming a really big fan of Carrie Brownstein, though- between her no-nonsense interview persona, her work on Portlandia, and this? It seems like maybe it was good that Sleater Kinney is gone...

I only wish I didn't have to work, and so, will not be able to see them play the Black Cat on the 20th. Hopefully, they stick around long enough to tour again, sometime....

Steve Jobs is Dead

2011-10-05T17:18:00.000-07:00

I just heard that it happened. I don't think it was any great shock to anyone, but it is sad, nonetheless. I'm sure the Pancreatic cancer had something to do with it., but I knew on a slightly more personal level that he was going. See, I worked for him, just a little. I knew that I was making arrangement to take him to medical facilities, and most of them were on the "hospice" end of the spectrum, as opposed to the treatment and curative end of the spectrum. So, no we weren't close in any way, but I felt bad for the guy- having to project strength, and command, all the while trying to make one last comfortable bed to lie down and die in.

Of course, his contributions are many, and you'll be hard pressed to find anyone in the western world entirely untouched by the things Steve Jobs brought in to our lives.

I hope that whatever else, the man came to peace with his life. I happen to believe that this is the goal for all of us, and so, I hope he met that. I hope that his family was ready, and can deal with what comes next. I hope that all of us can have some goodwill thrown our way, when we need it. I don't think he needs it, now, but it's there nonetheless. It's sad that the man needs nothing, now, but the comfort is that he didn't seem to waste a second of his time here, so hopefully he got a few minutes or hours of that time without the burden of conflict.

Whacha doin'?

2011-10-02T06:25:00.000-07:00

So, I talk a lot about music, a little about TV and books, and the occaisional book on here, right? But, culture isn't that. These are all artifacts, objects, things. Culture is what people do between them. So, what have I been doing, culturally?
Well, Most recently, yesterday I went to Crafty Bastards. For those not in the area, it's a large craft show, based around the fact that those of us in the DC area are so behind the times, that we didn't get the memo that crafting is over. Heck, we're so out of the loop we didn't even know that it's not subversive anymore.
No, what's hip and happening is what I blundered into right next to Crafty Bastards- auditions to be on the 27th season of MTV's Real World.
For those not culturally aware enough to remember the 1990's, I'm deeply sarcastic, because someone named Douglas Coupland put a big X on my forehead, ands I thought that made me a follower of Charles Manson, so I've been bitter ever since.
Much more seriously, I really like Crafty Bastards, as an event. I'm friends with some of the folks involved, and I always make new friends when I go. I think that some of the motivations for it are pure- sustainability, recycling, etc. However, the event is held in one of places I dislike. The Adams Morgan area of DC. Yes, I was in the same area a few scant weeks ago for You Am I ( which was good, but not awesome, unfortunately, so no talking about it from me) , and yes, I do end up there from time to time, but I hate the fake hipsterism that goes with areas like it. I dislike rude people in ironic costume, I don't like having to suffer for fashion- parking is awful, and the response I get from my friends- "I'm sorry, that's why I'm glad I don't live here anymore"- is miles away from the response of the locals, who were telling me to get a bike or get out. Real nice, huh? I live 50 miles away, and they won't let me take my bike on the train.
That's the heart of the cultural matter. Heart. The culture I want to support, and the engine that drives things like Crafty Bastards is a generosity of spirit, a joy in mindset, and a warmth of heart that you will not find in the so-called mass culture. Sure, we might dress it up is sarcasm, and parade it down into the cool,cool depths of hipsterville, but that heart is at the center of what my friends, and I hope I am all about.
So, whether it's fashionable or not (I'm thinking Not) and whether it's your exact Taste, or not- please check out my friends- because they're better people than I am. There's Tina Seamonster and Saul Bare Tree and Jessee and , of Course, Jon Wye ( I think about 1/3 of my T shirts come from that studio.) Go through my blog roll, and you'll find others, as well. The point isn't about style so much as good people. These are all good people. That's something that won't fit into a hipster neighborhood.

However, I am still into blatant localism. So, another set of things I've been doing centers around Frederick. I went to the county fair, which is a really big deal. I ate a poor boy sandwich, drank some beer, watched some kids, and saw a friend play his guitar. He's onto something interesting, I think- do folk music that's tied heavily into genre fiction. Specifically, he's getting tied into Science Fiction, but not in a jokey-reference material way. More in a story type of way. So, yeah, Check out Jonah Knight, too. Now, unlike some of the friends I might mention, Jonah's a really close friend, so sorry no detailed explication on his music- I don't want to discuss it. I like his music, and I like Jonah, and I don't want to potentially argue with anyone over it. But, back to Frederick County-

Later today, I'm probably hitting up Oktoberfest. Like I need an excuse for beer and sausage?

So, if Culture is what you do, that's what I am, lately.

A post I cannot escape

2011-09-25T06:09:00.000-07:00

So, over the past week or so, there's been a big to-do about 20 years since "Nevermind". I really don't want to comment on it, but I feel like I'd be lying if I didn't.
No one, I repeat no one is going to believe a word of this, so feel free to tear me a new one, but please know that I'm not fond of talking about this, at all.
See, on the one hand, I cannot comment on that record, because I've never owned it. Seriously, never. As a record, it wasn't all that to me. I'd easily go with that being Nirvana's weakest album. I genuinely couldn't care less about chart position, or voice of a generation hype. It's Kurt's attempt to draw out the best from his influences, and nothing better. Given that I am steeped heavily in those influences, I don't need the copycat version. All I can say is listen to bands like Killing Joke, The Melvins,The Pixies, Naked Raygun, and Leaving Trains, and you tell me if you hear anything really new or cool, or unexpected on Nevermind.
But, that brings me to why I have to comment. See, being so heavily steeped means that I knew several of the players involved. I knew Butch from his (last) days in Spooner, and from Smart studios in Madison. I know Dave Grohl from Scream. And yes, I knew Kurt. See, look up the history (I'm sure you'll find it online, don't ask me for a link.) and you'll note that several Seattle and Olympia-based bands went to Tucson quite frequently. It's because of friends of mine, and I was the soundman at several of those clubs that bands came to play at. So, I first met Kurt when they had either recently released bleach, or were about to, I honestly don't know. Dave was not in the band yet. It's a long story, and quite frankly, not one I will share in public, but Kurt ended up sleeping on my floor. (Not an unusual thing for the time, but yes, the circumstances were unusual). I remember thinking that even though he was the same age as me, he seemed so much more a little boy. Not in an innocent way- little boys can be worldly and evil- but in the sense that he was overwhelmed by life even then.
Which brings me to another person I knew back then. Courtney Michelle Harrison, better known as Courtney Love. She's a nightmare, always. She was back then, and still is. I have to be very careful talking about her because most of what I'd say about her are things that get called "allegations"- but suffice it to say that I know of very few people outside of prison with as big a trail of death, and ruin in their wake. My personal opinion is that she should have been wearing an Orange jumpsuit, years and years ago, and that was my opinion of her before she ever met Kurt. However, once I heard that they were together, I told everyone who asked "He'll be dead inside of a year". At least he surprised me by lasting a bit longer than that, but I mean what do you expect when you put together a weak pretty little boy with a maneater ( that's the nicest term I can use. Most of the terms I'd use for her I will not say here)- You expect him to "man up"? You expect him to suddenly turn into his opposite? Not gonna happen. What will happen is that he'll get chewed up, and will likely die. I'm not bragging when I say that I'm a much stronger man than Kurt ever was, and at about the same time, I married a maneater as well, and I barely got out with my life. It took the better part of a decade to recover, for me, and I got out quicker than Kurt. So, again, knowing the parties involved, I fully expected Kurt to die, and I was most shocked by the amount he got done before he succumbed. There were many parallels between Kurt and I, even down to both of us having extremely bad guts. My son even looks like Kurt, a bit. It's a strange thing.
So, what's my take on this landmark album? What deep and pithy comment can I make? Only this- the pain on there is real. Almost nothing else is real on that record. That's why I prefer Bleach and In Utero, easily. Because while they both have the same pain, the hope on Bleach, and the acceptance, and contentedness on In Utero are just as real as the pain. Yes, I know that Kurt wrote his suicide note on In Utero. In the exceedingly dark world that Kurt and I inhabited at that time, suicide might very well be seen as a relief. Yes, I know that on Bleach, Kurt was trying to be as big dark and cynical as his heroes, but hearing a little blonde boy trying to become his heroes, what do you call that, besides hope? There's a lot said in Punk Rock circles about "selling out", and 99% of it is claptrap for weak minds, but one element is relevant: there is a despair that is hard to stomach when someone gives up everything they could have been to try to "make it big", and I can hear it all over Nevermind, so I still would rather not listen to it. But, that pain is real. It's honest. You can hear the pain and frustration of someone who has been truly isolated, truly alone on that album, and I think that pain is what people connect to. Think about it- we're hard-wired to respond to distress calls. That's why the sound of a baby crying affects you- even if only to annoy you. Most of us have had some pain in our lives, like that. So, when we hear it, we respond. If you wade through the bulldada that people will write, that's the message I hear, in the end- I could feel Kurt's pain.

Kasabian

2011-09-24T21:29:00.000-07:00

So, I got the new one, "Velociraptor!", and I think it's quite good. I'm not going to throw around words like "brilliant" or "genius" because no, it's neither of those. It is very enjoyable, however. The right mix between Oasis-styled laddish Beatle-isms, quasi-Bollywood sampled strings, and minimalist techno. I would still group them in with the more continental Art-Rock semi-scene (Everyone from Danes like Mew, and Kashmir, to the by-now over-mentioned dEUS, with stops on Silence is Sexy, Millionaire, etc, etc- basically about 80% of the non-stoner, non-Punk I mention on this blog). It's rather enjoyable, too, to watch the notoriously clannish, faddish and fickle English Press attempt to pigeonhole it. I truly believe it's because there's something new underfoot in Europe. Bands that are influenced by Radiohead and Kanye West and still trying to make organic-sounding music- not embracing the icy detachment of even the most grimy dubstep- but instead trying to apply some of the post-rock experimentation towards decidedly more rockist fare. It's hard to define, because it's not finished, yet. However, as such, it also cannot be strapped down to a neat category, either. To show you a bit more what I'm getting at, here are three Videos. One from dEUS, one from Mew, and the latest from Kasabian. Am I full of it, or can you hear the thread there, as well?

A little Follow up

2011-09-21T18:34:00.000-07:00

Still listening to the new dEUS. I like it. It's more "Pocket Revolution" than it is "Vantage Point", but I guess I am American, so I like the brashness of Vantage Point. Still, I like Pocket Revolution, and this fits very well with that record. But, I cannot simply listen to it over, and over like I can with Vantage Point. I've been mixing it with the new-ish Beastie Boys (Hot Sauce Committee pt 2) and the Danger Mouse/Sparklehorse combo "Dark Night of the Soul" and it fits in very nicely with that combination, if that makes any sense...
My point, beyond a fanboy gush, is that I still am enjoying music more than I'm thinking about what I don't like- and I'd encourage you to do the same.

REM stage complete

2011-09-21T18:19:00.001-07:00

Yeah, so REM are broken up. I was a big fan, back in the 1980's. I was less of a fan in the 1990's, and now?
Let me put it this way- I'm glad they've packed it in. Michael Stipe can go do visual arts, which he's both better at, and seems to like more. Peter Buck can go play his guitar with musicians who actually mean it for a change, and Mike Mills? Go play on your private yacht, dude. No, you don't know me, because you didn't seem to give a damn about us "little people", but I know you, pal, and no, I'm not impressed. Seriously, I know all the members of REM have had severe cases of "rock star-itis" , just like the members of U2, but I never had to work with most of them, so I can't speak about them. Mills, yeah, him I've worked for, and I'm glad that it wasn't often. I'm OK with them being very wealthy men. I'm even good with them feeling like they are important. I'm not good with them making music as REM, because it just hasn't been worth it, for quite awhile, to me. I'm even less good with deifying anyone, and not at all good with worshipping some people I know inhabit a different planet from what people think. I'm glad they're done. For those of you who are fans of their millennial output, good for you, enjoy those CDs, but don't play 'em around me, thanks. Here's hoping that folks know when to kill it before it gets old.

Keep you Close

2011-09-19T06:39:00.000-07:00

Ok, thanks to a Belgian friend, I just secured a copy, and I've got it downloaded. I'll commence listening, now. For those without such connections, it'll be out everywhere by mid-October, but you can listen Now. I've not listened enough to pass along much in the way of what I think, but suffice it to say that I love dEUS, both the version that self destructed in the 1990's, and the new, suave, sophisticated version that came about in 2005. I might even like that version more, because I'm a sucker for pop music. Regardless, I know that a goodly percentage of those who check on this blog are in such a position that they are getting their copies this week, and I'm with you people. I'm excited, and I'll say more when I know more.

a Fetish for those Arty magazines

2011-09-18T08:57:00.000-07:00

(OK, bonus points for anyone who gets the reference without looking it up)
I've been reading two magazines that I don't usually. One, I'd really reccomend, the other, not so much.
The one I'd suggest you pick up if you find it is "Twisted South". I got the issue with Headcat on the cover. What a lovely bunch of puff-pieces this thing is! It's not investigative journalism, it's promotional material for very-loosely defined "Southern" stuff- but most of it, I'd say 85%, is fascinating and awesome. Check it out, really.
I didn't really care for the Wire magazine, though. I've seen it around, and it seemed like it might be the kind of thing I'd be into- I really am pretty versed in avante garde music, even if it's not all to my taste. But I'm completely turned away by the pretension, the elitism, the cultural hypocrisy and the plain snobbery of this thing. It was bad enough that I actually decided against buying a book by an author I have previously enjoyed. They had a bit in there by Simon Reynolds that was just awful about fetishising vintage NME's because it's too hard to fetishize vintage vinyl, or some other claptrap- I honestly couldn't be bothered to read it deeply enough to appreciate his full point it was so poorly written and so full of logical fallacies. So, I looked up some of his other stuff, and it's basically caused me to think that it's only because I loved the post punk era so much that I thought so highly of his "Rip it up and Start over Again" . He's just not that good.
So, I guess I'm with the Brutarians, then, yeah? Not exactly... I'm still an over-educated geek, and I still value intellectualism, and I would rather have a chat with a genius than "juss Folks", but I value sincerity and joy over irony and Schadenfreude.

Pitchfork doesn't get it

2011-09-18T08:13:00.000-07:00

So, I have been listening to some "b-listers" recently. Bands that I know aren't making great Art, but that aren't straight mainstream fluff, either. So, as part of that, I read the reviews, and it strikes me just how opposite I am from one of the biggies- Pitchfork. If they rank it a 2, I'll rank it a 7, if they rank it a 7, I'll rank it a 3. I tend to be much more positive on music, in general, than they ever are. I think that might be because I have worked in the actual business of music in America. I'm not talking about the artistic side, either. I mean the straight job end of the business, and all innuendos should remain intact. I've done stuff like advertising sales, and final mixing, and editing video, and live sound, and promotions, and so on and so on- all the loathsome stuff to the high-minded aesthetes.It has given me both a cynicism that ties in nicely with my punk rock roots- I have no heroes. Wanna know why? Well it's because of things like having to set up a late night last minute stretch limo to pick up a bass player for a certain rock band noted for being heroes to many alternative types, a band noted for charity and high-minded aesthetics, from his private yacht, and then, having to work with local authorities to get this spoiled brat a police escort for his late night limo hijinks, so that no punters show up in any inopportune papparazi shots that may or may not occur. I'm sorry, but having to kiss that guys' ass more than ruins any notions of Art or beauty. But, on the other end, I can really appreciate the compromises, and the sacrifices made by one of the many little bands around, and so I'll be much more kind to them than some pompous, yet ignorant blogger at Pitchfork is likely to be. They don't understand that if you're a band playing at 700-1000 seat gigs, with a couple of records out on major label subsidiaries, or larger indie labels, this isn't just about Art, anymore. It's a job. You're trying your damnedest to make enough cash that you can fit a little Art into your resume.
So, which bands am I talking about, explicitly? Four of them, and they all fit in together- I'm talking about Glasvegas, White Lies, Blonde Redhead, and the Foals.
Now, my individual reviews of each would not actually matter, and I'm not planning on reviewing any of them. They're all fairly mediocre, but enjoyable somewhat dreamy, somewhat echo-ey takes on synth-alt hybrids with heavy nods to the kinds of 1980's bands that would've been played on 120 minutes. My point is more or less that such bands might just have a bit of nostalgia for things like 120 minutes because it was the kind of promotional tool that just doesn't happen all that often. These are bands just trying to get by on concert and album sales because they're just big enough sellers that if everything goes right, they won't have to work day jobs. As a guy who never had a silver spoon, and is getting by ok, now, and is a bit of a pinko, I can totally appreciate that, even if the music is only OK.

So, wat r u up 2?

2011-09-11T07:51:00.000-07:00

Yes, that was a lame attempt at text speak. I'm horribly out of touch when it comes to phones. I still own a "dumb" phone, and have no desire for an app. I don't text, and don't use the quasi-Princetic graffiti abbreviations that texters do.
What I am up-to-date on, of course, is other aspects of our Pop culture. So, yes, the past three weeks have been crazy busy, so not as much from me on the blog front. However, I've still been driving, still need to decompress, and still have a sweet tooth when it comes to books, movies and music.
The easiest is what I've been reading- I'm reading both the Bob Mould/Husker Du biographies- both "See a little Light" and "The Story of the Noise Pop Pioneers who Launched Modern Rock". Both, I've read before, but I'm reading then together, trying to alternate so that the chronologies match , making it like a conversation. Like a he said/she said type of arrangement? Call me harsh, call me biased, but I think I mostly side with Bob. He seems much more ready to admit flaws, and is much more coherent, making me think that I'm getting a more measured, sober analysis. Operative word being sober- I get the feeling that Grant is still using, and some of his quotes remind me pretty much of junkie-speak, and no, kids, you should never trust a junkie. Bob is prone to the typical AA exagerration- for example, he describes spiking coffee with "crystal meth". Quite frankly, I'll bet they spiked the coffee, but I'll bet it wasn't crystal meth. In 1982, Crystal meth was a lot harder to come by, and less refined- it wouldn't have worked as well, wouldn't have been as available, and wouldn't have been as easy as dumping a bunch of cross tops in the coffee- basically, the same kind of biker speed that Husker Du were used to. But, having been to enough meetings, I know how it goes. The stories get embellished so that you can top each other with "I was the worst". I can trust that kind of exaggeration. I cannot trust a minimized version like Hart's when he describes a 45 hour recording session and 40 hour mixdown as "We just worked very expeditiously because of having the experiences of {recording before}". That's Junkie-speak for "we did stuff that I don't want to tell you, because I don't want any trouble".
Anyway, it's an interesting thought experiment. Next, I think I'll alternate between Dick Cavett's book and Mickey Leigh's "I slept with Joey Ramone". After that, I might read Robert Rodriguez's "Rebel without a Crew"
Movies, too, are easy. I've been watching my usual TV shows, and the series finale for "Rescue Me" was awesome. I liked several things very much, plot-wise. Tommy remains haunted, remains a firefighter, and remains troubled. That's true to life. Things like having massive numbers of deaths around you just don't get resolved, ever. I know. I'm around Tommy's age, and I've had about as many deaths. I spent many years trying to deal with that. Now, I'm like Tommy- I'm accepting that this is how it is, and I'm not OK, and that doesn't matter, I've still got to live, somehow. I'm fortunate that it's not like my kid died, like his did, nor did my brother, like his did. Had either one died, I probably would have done exactly what Tommy did, and lose my damn mind. However, the reason why I liked this isn't because it was a bummer. Far from it, it's because they finally gave us the reason Tommy holds on- his ghosts are literally his best friends and family. He's not ready to become a ghost, himself, because he has things to do, like deliver his own son, but he won't give up those things that haunt him because he cannot give up his life. That's reality for you. This was no "Sopranos" cop out with a "did he/didn't he"? Ending. It was a basic admission- some things cannot be resolved, but those things that can be resolved, were resolved.
I also re-discovered "Killing Zoe" which is a great Caper flick, with a Tarantino-esque twist of- the caper goes bad. Yes, it has Eric Stoltz doing an early incarnation of his character in Pulp Fiction, and Julie Delpy being, well, french. But, for me, the movie is all about Jean Hugues Anglade as Eric. Eric is, by turn, scheming, suicidal, swaggering and suspect. He's completely believable as a criminal, and, by far, the best representation of a diabolically insane, yet charismatic bad guy. You know, the kind of role that John Travolta, Nic Cage, and Quentin Tarrantino, himself, have been trying to capture for half of each of their careers? Anglade nails it down. Seriously, if you don't both like and fear him by the end of the movie, you must be high. That he didn't get all the roles assigned to Peter Stormare in America, and every villian Travolta played is a sure sign that Hollywood must have blackmail photos owned by Scientologists...

A quick note

2011-09-03T09:09:00.000-07:00

I'm not certain when I'm next posting. Life's busy, what can I say?

Are We Not Men?

2011-08-26T16:00:00.000-07:00

So, speaking of mainstream stuff, this past week I went to the movies, and saw the new " Rise of the Planet of the Apes" re-boot. Umm, yeah.Spoilers ahoy- stop now if you really want to let the plot unfold for you.
It had some moments, mostly those involving John Lithgow, who is an under-appreciated genius of a character actor. Also, the CGI is pretty Whiz-bang.
The story is predictable, , even beyond the fact of the movie having already been made.
If I seem reluctant to talk about the plot, it's not because I want to keep the films mysteries, because it has none. As much as "Hobo with a Shotgun" or "Snakes on a Plane", if you know the title, you know where this is going.
No, I'm reluctant because of how it differs from the Conquest of the Planet of the Apes. That film was a satire of just how polarized, and how close to real Totalitarianism America was teetering in 1970. This film is almost an apology for fascism. The protagonist is the Ape, named Caesar, and at one point, he illustrates his plan by literally making a roman fasces. Then, in the end, the film gives a cheap out to fascism, by removing the murder and bloodshed that real-life fascism always involves- instead trying to blame the victim ( the chemical that forces the evolution of the Apes is a virus, so the wiping out of humanity is not accomplished by our benevolent Ape overlords. Yes that's a huge spoiler. But does it surprise you, really?) So the plot repulses me, completely and utterly.
I think we're nearing the end of the Hollywood movie. At least, I fervently hope so. Yes, there should be a place for big, dumb action movies. I love big, dumb action movies- but I'm sick of remakes, reboots, reimaginings, and other recyclables. I'm sick of comic books as the sole source of inspiration, and the endless baby boomer bullshit of trying to bring out everything from the late sixties and early seventies. I'm sick of being subjected to shite that's genetically engineered for 13 year old boys. I'm sick of virtually everything Hollywood does, and I think they are sick of it, too. That's why the award shows load up on films no-one saw because no studio promoted them- not even the studio that produced it. That's why almost anyone worth their salt has migrated to TV, Cable TV, or online. So, if Americans really were a bunch of rugged individualists like the Tea Party would have us believe they themselves are, Rise of the Planet of the Apes would be the nail in the coffin for hollywood that it deserves.

My old Kentucky Home

2011-08-26T15:00:00.000-07:00

You'd think I'm from Kentucky, from how often I rate Kentucky-based bands (Think about it- Workers, Metroschifter, Coliseum, Trophy Wives, etc. ) but honestly, I just like what I like, and I don't really care too much where it comes from. So, now, I'm here to turn you on to Bowling Green's own "Sleeper Agent". They're on the radar- heck even Rolling Stone has heard of them. But you know what? They're still pretty darn good, and part of the reason I'm writing this is to correct a bad tag they're getting because of the lack of taste the mainstream shows. Multiple citations of the Pixies are the result of really lazy journalism, not any sonic similarities (Well, Ok, both bands play indie rock with some female vocals and some male vocals). They fit in more like Arcade Fire meets Sleigh Bells than anything to do with the Pixies. So, even if the mainstream is telling you that they're good, the mainstream is saying so for the wrong reasons. I don't mean that in any holier-than-thou sense, it's just true. They do big pop hooks, but they don't do the sideways songwriting, the traditional harmonies, the biblical references, the surf guitar lines, the David Lynch homages- in other words, they're nothing like the pixies. Instead, like Arcade Fire, these are Indie rock Anthems, but like Sleigh Bells, there are shark's teeth in the bubble bath. It's not just distortion, nor key changes- they have some genuine aggression, and mostly keep things at Punkish tempos, with vocals straining to stay in tune. The keyboards provide more atmosphere than hooks. Overall, it's a joyful racket, but with a maniac's glee.
Listen to, then decide if you want to purchase, as always, but I did, and I chalk it up to the area- Kentucky seems to breed some really good rock music, you know?

DVD TV

2011-08-21T08:26:00.000-07:00

So, I was talking about stuff bought from Borders going under. I don't buy a whole lot of movies because I've got 20 movie channels, on demand movies and 5 theaters within 30 miles. So, I just buy classic movies that I can watch multiple times, and TV shows that I enjoy. So, I got two movies- Rocknroll High School- because who doesn't love it? and Brick because I love film Noir and hardboiled detective fiction.
So much for that. I got the following TV shows: Burn Notice, Lost, NewsRadio and Rescue Me.
Burn Notice I've talked about enough. You get it, I like the pretty photography.
Lost, everyone has talked about that show more than enough. I got Season three, which I consider to be the end of the show. The last three seasons were sporadically interesting, but it was a different show from Lost. I'm not interested in anything after Season 4, but the first three seasons were essential.
NewsRadio, was amazing until Phil Hartman got murdered. Think about the talent on the show- Dave Foley (Kids in the Hall) Andy Dick (Ben Stiller show, Mr Show) Phil Hartman (SNL) Stephen Root ( From Office Space to True Blood, he's everywhere, and never bad) Joe Rogan (Fear Factor,UFC,manliness) Maura Tierney (ER, Rescue Me) Khandi Alexander ( CSI:Miami, CB4, ER) and Vicki Lewis (Tons of Voice work on everything from Finding Nemo to Justice League ). The writing was Paul Simms ( David Letterman, Larry Sanders, Flight of the Conchords, The Simpsons) and the guest stars are a who's who of American comedy. It was like SNL, shoved into a sit-com.
Finally, what do I need to say about Rescue me to get you to watch the second best TV show around (Best is Boardwalk Empire)? You've got an amazingly talented cast, scripts that sound like real life, incredible stories filled with drama and comedy, and some of the best-looking shots I've seen on TV. Seriously, I've worked as a cameraman, and Rescue Me is better filmed than most movies. The only reason why Boardwalk Empire is better is that the writing is better- not by a ton, but enough that I'd say it's a better show.
So, yeah, I'd say I scored on the DVD's...

Where's mah Bookit?

2011-08-21T07:21:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I've been taking advantage of Borders books going out of business. Here's the books purchased in the past month, not counting books purchased for other people:
Route 19 Revisited: The Clash and London Calling by Marcus Gray. Have I mentioned I'm a fan of the Clash?
Dance of Days: Two Decades of Punk in the Nation's Capital by Mark Andersen and Mark Jenkins. What is it with sociology majors, punk rock, subtitles, and the name Mark?
Hitman:My Real Life in the Cartoon World of Wrestling by Bret Hitman Hart. Yes, I like Wrestling. I was never a fan of Bret Hart, but he's a smart, interesting guy.
My Booky Wook: A memoir of Sex, Drugs and Stand-Up by Russell Brand. His comedy is hit or miss with me, but he's one sharp cat. So I find it interesting that such a bright young man could be so stupid.
See a Little Light: The Trail of Rage and Melody by Bob Mould and Michael Azerrad. I've already read most of it on a borrowed copy. Now I've got my own. Michael can write, and Bob is one of the best songwriters to come along.
The Psychopath Test: A Journey through the Madness industry by Jon Ronson. I take Ronson with a grain of salt, but he does write fun pop Socio-psychological fluff.

That's not to mention the DVDs purchased, which will be next.

Things Change

2011-08-21T06:57:00.000-07:00

OK, so I have been listening to music released this past decade as well. I've been listening to the Cute Lepers, as stated below, plus two others:
I finally decided to give the Artic Monkeys a try. Umm, well, still auditioning them, I guess. I've got Humbug, as I reckoned it would be the one I'd be most likely to enjoy. On paper, you'd think I'd like it- lots of retro beat references, articulate lyrics, some punky aggression and swagger. Maybe they'll grow on me, but as of now, it reminds me of The Vines and the Subways and a host of other bands that my wife really likes I suspect more for the way the band members look than how the music sounds. So, as of now, anyway, I cannot say that I'm a fan.
The other is Big Business' new Quadruple Single. Things change. Big Business used to clearly just be a Melvins side project, and mostly a joke at that. There's still humour, but things have changed. Now, they sound like a confident band in their own right, and yes, I like it. They're very seventies-influenced, but, not unlike the Melvins, no matter how metal influenced, there something that reads "Punk" in this. I mean how could there not be? They've got an Anthem consisting largely of a one note riff, and the lyrics? "Guns are better than anything else". Here, see what I mean.
So, I'll keep trying, because sooner or later, there will be something new to catch me.

The Good Ol' Days

2011-08-20T18:33:00.000-07:00

So, no, I haven't been putting much up here, as of late. however, that's mostly because I've been really enjoying some older stuff. The best of it is my re-discovery of Skin Yard's "Hallowed Ground". Now, if you don't know who Skin Yard were, here's a nutshell- they were the single most responsible unit in the creation of the whole "Grunge" thing. Don't believe me? Let's review- Dan House, the bass player ran C/Z records which put out the deep six compilation, considered by many to be the first Grunge record. Jack Endino, the guitar player, was the in-house engineer/producer for Sub Pop, so everything from Bleach to Zeke was recorded at Reciprocal studios. Matt Cameron, the drummer, went on to Soundgarden. Ben McMillan, the singer, formed Gruntruck, which opened for Alice in Chains more often than any other band, and were key to bringing Alice in Chains into the seattle scene. So, yeah, I think they were the unit most responsible for Grunge. On "Hallowed Ground" probably their most abrasive record they mix doom, psychedelia, funk metal, and Gothic rock- which tell me if you've heard different- is the formula for both grunge and Stoner rock. So, a key record? Yes, undoubtedly. Find it, if you can.
Another work of staggering genius that I've been listening to is the Effigies "For Ever Grounded". The Effigies were a early chicago skinhead punk band. Not quite Oi! and not quite Punk Rock, they mixed the two in a way that went a long way to creating the "Chicago sound" of bands like Naked Raygun, Pegboy, and Big Black. Then, they got influenced by Joy Division, and created some unique post punk, but on For Ever Grounded, they created a metallic, hard-edged new sound for punk, drawing from Oi!, like Blitz and the early Angelic Upstarts, from Punk, like The Ruts and Penetration and also from arty post punk like Killing Joke and Wire and Uk Decay. Really thrilling stuff, much better than what Los Angeles was producing in 1984.
Lastly, I've been listening to Chrome. Chrome were a kind of missing link between hard-edged psychedelic bands like Hawkwind and early industrial electronic bands like Caberet Voltaire. There were elements in common with The Stooges, Hawkwind, german Krautrock, like Neu! art like the Residents, and even Devo. So, I've been listening to Half Machine Lip Moves and Third from the Sun, both of which pursue a tinny metallic motorik grind with sci-fi lyrics half mumbled into badly functioning recording devices, then coat the whole thing in analog tape effects- it's like Silver Machine runs headlong into Throbbing Gristle. Easily some of the strangest stuff I had in my record collection in the early 1980's, and it wasn't until Six Finger Satellite revived the sound in 1997 that I thought about it. Now, I love it.

That's not music

2011-08-13T07:50:00.000-07:00

I just spent the last 45 minutes listening to squeaking noises, and I liked it.
I think the hard part about electronic, synthesized music is that it doesn't follow musical convention. Oh, sure, there are a lot of synthesizers in pop music, even, but the machinery, at its core, isn't designed to make music- it's pure noise generation. Certainly, the same argument can be made for any musical instrument- a guitar, a saxophone, a piano, all make noise- but all have a certain preset- a lot of conventions went in. Now, certainly, an electric guitar occupies a space where the conventional meets the pure noise element, and that might very well be why the electric guitar is my favorite instrument. But, the thing about hard electronics is that you have to harnass it to get it to follow the conventions. Sure, a lot are chained to a keyboard, but ultimately, the base machinery is just generating noise. Some folks need the conventions, and they need that system of organizing noise. I can understand that, and I don't look down upon it, but I also can appreciate pure noise- just the sound of an air conditioner running, or plates clinking in the sink while being washed can be aesthetically pleasing for me.
An appreciation for noise is what sets the Bloody Beetroots apart from other purveyors of electronica in Europe, right now. I can see how they have as much in common with Throbbing Gristle as Georgio Moroder , whereas a troupe like Justice, or Daft Punk are much more married to the disco end of the stick. Yes, you can dance to the Bloody Beetroots, and yes, they are "de nom" DJs, but they, themselves, even call it the Church of Noise. I am thoroughly impressed with how committed they are to exploring noise. It'd be very easy for them to adapt their sound to dubstep, or dance punk, or disco, and become far more mainstream, but they seem to love pure high-volume noise. Unless you're comfortable with hearing a good 45 minutes of squeaking, throbbing and oscillating noise, they're going to be somewhat off-putting.
So, I just got their best of remixes CD, and it carries on from the Death Crew 77 stuff. If anything, they seem to be even more committed to pure noise. That (and references to "Escape from New York") is certain to catch my attention. But what makes it work for me is the understanding of structure and dynamics. So, follow this link to what I think is the new highlight for them. Squeaking noises on a much higher level.

The Cute Lepers

2011-08-12T21:01:00.000-07:00

So, I've liked Steve E Nix's retropunk fixation for quite awhile, but it was just pure retropunk- all fetishizing a mythical 1977, with little to add. Forming the Cute Lepers was a step in the right direction, as up until the latest record, it's been punk-informed Power Pop. Now, with Adventure Time, we're getting to the payoff on all that. The music is still heavily referencing older music- there's a lot of Buzzcocks, and the Saints in there, but a new element makes it a better ballgame- Bruce Springsteen. Seriously, I can hear more than an echo of "Born to Run" era Springsteen in the new tunes and I like it. I'm not a big fan of Springsteen. I think he, like Nix, is a bit too slavish in his hero worship of earlier sounds, but the thing that Springsteen does bring is a kind of urgency- a desperation to cling to cliches as if not doing so will rob him of his life. That's what makes Springsteen listenable, where his progeny are not (ever listened all the way through a mid 80's John Cougar LP? How about ever made it all the way through Bat out of Hell 2? Meat loaf is a neat guy, and a good actor, but that stuff will drive you to applying a nail gun to your forehead). Steve E seems to have managed to channel some of that, and it really has elevated the music. So, yes, I can finally say that I like the Cute Lepers...

Sometimes it crosses over

2011-08-06T09:37:00.001-07:00

This'll be on both blogs, because it applies pretty universally. How do I feel about my life, my country and my culture. Knifeman by The Bronx

Thundercats, Hoooo!

2011-07-29T21:11:00.000-07:00

So, yes, I used to watch thundercats. Why not? It was better than some of the other options. Quite randomly, I caught the premiere of the reboot tonight. And? Well, it's not quite as cheesetastic, and it's borrowing heavily from quasi-Asian fare like the Avatar series. I suppose it's good to try to tell a story, and try to grow the show both in terms of maturity and story, but, I don't know.... I miss being able to laugh at it. If you're into it, here you go....

Quiet? Really?

2011-07-24T06:48:00.000-07:00

So, enough with the negativity. I've got a new band for you. Call themselves "Quiet Arcs", and they play metallic hardcore with a grunge twist. It's a bit like like the Slayer-influenced hardcore from the mid 1990's, mixed with the doomy grunge of the late 1990's grunge of the Melvins. Pretty darn classy, if you ask me. There are some moments that are a bit screamo, which isn't exactly my favorite, but this stuff still gets the blood and brain moving enough that I can forgive the occasional overwrought passage. Overall, it's hardcore enough that I don't think I'm hearing a metal band in waiting, but it's metal enough that it appeals to my testosterone levels. My much younger self would complain that there are too many slow bits so it'd be hard to slam to
( and now time for a digression. It's slamming. It's not pogo. Pogo has become so mainstream that hippies pogo at Blues Traveller gigs. I've seen them, it's nothing good. It's not moshing. Moshing is the dance equivalent of a toilet flushing, with everyone chasing each others' ass. None for me, thanks. When I was a kid, it was slamming- kind of like the circle pit, but far more chaotic. Ever heard of the Naked Raygun "Wall of Death"? Yeah, I thought not. Basically, Slamming was like trying to pogo in a mosh, mixed with playing American football. All with folks stage diving on top. So, yes, I'm exact with my terms. You Pogo at a Weirdos gig. You mosh at a Slayer gig. You slam at a hardcore show. Teeth get lost, skulls get cracked, ribs get bruised, and a good time is had by all. Seriously, I've lost teeth, I've cracked my skull, and I've bruised my ribs in the pit, and I don't regret it at all. )

but screw my younger self, I dig the slower bits, too. Put it on very loudly, you might just like it, and say, just like me, Why Quiet Arcs? That makes no sense....
Then, again, I'm still with Brian Grillo- I'm not good at keeping silent. Am I loud? Hehehe...

Ghouls Night out

2011-07-23T10:18:00.000-07:00

OK, yes, I know this might be ghoulish, coming only minutes after she's found dead, But honestly, Amy Winehouse dead? Hmmm, file that under "Yeah, I thought so". I don't think anyone will be surprised, and I don't think anyone will doubt the reason why boils down to self-abuse. If it wasn't the drugs, drink and smoking, it was the obvious easting disorder. If it was neither of those, it was due to a misadventure brought on by poor judgement.
She was 27. That's about the same age as the rest of them, right? All the rock stars and movie stars who drug it up, and make a religion out of abusing themselves.
Not to get all political on you, but I still believe that drugs should be legalized. All of them. Because it's not that the substance is good or bad, in and of itself. It's that we, as human beings, can be so stupid, so selfish, and so cruel. Oh, they'll talk about Amy's "struggle" with her "demons", but what a load of crap! I believe in demons, but they're not in bottles, or packets. They're us. We are the demons we fear. Not the substance. Her fight was not with any substance. She chose her demons over everything else. Demons of her psyche, not of her ingestion. So, yes, we might pity her, but why? She got exactly what she asked for- demons want us dead. She chose her demons, and her demons did what demons do. So, while I think drugs should all be legal, I don't believe in excusing bad behaviour. You kill somebody while drunk driving, you're a murderer in my eyes. You rob people so you can get drugs? You're a thief in my eyes, plain and simple. I don't believe in excusing bad behaviour. I don't care if it was bipolar or Benzedrine you blame it on- if you act poorly, it's on you. I don't care if you're on Alcohol or Al-Anon, if you're a jerk to me.
So, she died young. Good for her, I guess. That's what the drive was, anyway. A drive for death. Ask Kurt, ask Jim Morrison, ask John Belushi, ask Brittney Murphy- ultimately, all this stuff is simply a desire to be nowhere and no one.
If it makes me a ghoul to be so harsh, then a Ghoul I am. There are so many others I'd prefer to celebrate; people who really are struggling with their demons- and trying to overcome them. Tell me about Carla Bozulich who had far more personal issues than Amy Winehouse will ever have, but strives to find beauty outside of those issues. Tell me about Art Alexakis who had all those demons, but has made a career out of destroying those demons one by one. Tell me about Robert Downey Jr who went as far down a self destructive path as anyone, and now doesn't make much of it, focusing instead on living a full artistic life. Get the idea? If I'm a ghoul for not giving honour to the disgraceful dead its only because I'm more concerned with the grace and honour of the will to live.

Bury Potter and the Ghastly, hallowed

2011-07-17T05:25:00.000-07:00

Not that I've got an "audience"- we're all friends, here- but I've set myself up for charges of hypocrisy from the audience, here.
What I mean is that I've chartered this here blog on the idea that so-called "mass culture" is dead, dead, dead, and that we can operate on a different scale. I still believe that. However, I do talk about stuff that would register on the scales for "mass culture"- stuff like TV shows, U2, and today, the Harry Potter movies. So, what's up with that?
Here's my internal rationalization- It's me talking about this stuff. I don't really have an audience, and I'm strange, so necessarily, my take on it will be sideways, and anyone reading my take will read it sideways, as well. That's an internal rationalization, though. I recognize that we're all "non-conformists"- everybody thinks they're a unique snowflake, and I'm no different. Except, well, I really am a bit different, and I can prove it; most folks haven't worked in the industry, and of those who have, even fewer have my particular brand of mixed feelings about it.
But, enough with the intellectual pud-pulling! I've got a more external, objective reasoning- that is, the process is in enough flux that we can talk about mass culture. What I mean is that there still is enough of the old world to talk about, that when I say "Mass culture" you have an idea of what I mean. Because of that, in a dialectic, we're not yet at a new synthesis- we're still negotiating between theses. Exactly how much mass, and how much idiosyncratic culture will come out is still up for grabs. Therefore, I cannot totally ignore mass culture, and though I might be hostile to the vast majority of it, it really isn't the job of history to be hostile to an idea until it's totally resolved.
What I am saying is that I am a product of my upbringing, and my environs- which has weighted in favor of mass culture very heavily, but I'm not a blind consumer, so I'm welcoming the impending demise of that paradigm- I'm welcoming it, because it's not yet complete.
Seem like neurotic posturing to you? Yeah, it might be, but I'm going to see the new Harry potter movie today, most likely. I've got a few thoughts on that. The first is on the phenomena. Obviously, it's become a world-wide cultural phenomena- but it's not unique in that. In fact, it takes quite a bit from earlier incarnations of that same phenomena- most notably JRR Tolkien and the "teen mystery" novels (Nancy Drew/Hardy Boys). So, the reasons for Harry Potter becoming such a phenomena are probably much the same as for the earlier incarnations of the same phenomena. I don't think it's all that productive looking for significance in the books themselves, in that they're simply re-tellings of already existing themes, tropes and even stories. (By the way, this isn't meant as a slam on the books- since the time of the Greeks, the point of telling stories and myths isn't to be wholly original- the point is to tell the story that does the most for the audience)The real interest, for me, is why these stories? Why is Harry Potter world wide, while, say,Lemony Snicket, isn't? I suspect that it's something to do with Britain. Think about how many people watched the recent Royal Wedding. Think about how vast the British Empire was. Think about how rotten things have been in England since the 1970's. I think there's a strong element in Empire nostalgia in the Harry Potter series. Children seem to desire strong parents. I think I can see why. There is a comfort in knowing what's expected, and there is security in strength. Adults find that "strong parent" is authoritarian governments. I can understand that it's easier to place one's faith in a person than in abstract ideas, and for all the "magic" and "mystery" of Harry Potter, the strongest theme is of Harry seeking the comfort of a strong parent who won't go away. His birth parents are dead, his Godfather gets killed, his mentors die, and still, Harry never truly looks within to set his own agenda. Instead, he's always the plaything of his fears, as personified by Lord Voldemort. Essentially, the need fulfilled, on a cultural level, by the Harry Potter series, is the post-modern, multicultural democratic longing for the premodern monocultural empire. It's the desire for people to be exonerated for the crimes of their cultural past, while also wishing that the past could be secure enough to be the present. JK Rowling has said that her books were a plea for tolerance, but tolerance for whom? I'm a white middle class, middle aged American. I don't see a need for me to "tolerate" the third world, or women, or any other group. At this stage in history, I can only hope that all these other groups, who are much more dynamic than my own culture, will tolerate me. I think that's who rowling is pleading tolerance for, ultimately. Harry Potter is the British Empire personified in the most sympathetic light possible. That's what I think, anyway. Essentially, I think the Harry potter answer to the dialectic is to reject it altogether, and wish that we could all just be happy together. I think that Rowling's answer to my Blog's question would be something along the lines of "We don't need to tolerate mass culture, Mass culture should be tolerant, and, if we can accept others, mass culture will be tolerant". Now to draw too much of a straw man, but my answer to such thinking is that mass culture is not the same as the culture of the masses. I don't think that mass culture can be tolerant or intolerant. Mass culture is ultimately a proposition, and attempt to persuade us to a mindset. I have come to the opposite conclusion from what I see as the Harry potter answer to post modern insecurity. I think we should just give in to that insecurity, not look for our Parents, and instead enjoy what joys our lives can afford us, and fight those who would seek to be our cultural Parents.
So, if that's how I feel, why am I seeing the movie? Because my wife and kid do not feel as I do. They both really like Harry Potter. My son likes to identify as Harry Potter, and sees himself as the misunderstood noble hero, and my wife has literally said that she enjoys the "world of Harry Potter" because it's like her imaginings of old England.I'm interested enough in seeing the phenomena that I'm allowing myself to dragged along.

Badstrip

2011-07-10T21:54:00.000-07:00

Horrible band name, good band. I wonder why it works out like that? Killing Joke, Thin White Rope, Kyuss- all are terrible names.
Anyway, Badstrip play the high energy kinda glammy punky rock that flows from the New York Dolls onwards. The closest comparison would be the early output of the Lazy Cowgirls. There isn't much to say in the way of music criticism, but for music like this, that stuff is kinda besides the point. This is rocknroll as greasy kids' stuff. If you dig Kiss, the NY Dolls, the Stooges, The Heartbreakers and so on, you'll find something to like. Don't ask too much more from it, and you'll be fine.

A little something soothing

2011-07-09T20:37:00.000-07:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UxmZUzpMuQo

I mentioned what I've been listening to? Yeah, well, I always am listening to stuff I've had. This week I was on my James Robbins kick. This song just seems right. Be well, oh my Brovvers...

New this week

2011-07-09T19:51:00.000-07:00

OK, so no, I don't think any of this just came out this week, but this is what I've been listening to, this week, and some of it is new to me.
First up- Yeah, go ahead, I'm a poseur. I'm jumping on the Bandito bandwagon. Bandito are a Dutch stoner band that have the first LP Kyuss sound down pretty well.Yes, just the first LP. They don't get all Psychedelic punk rock. It's more just six cylinder rock- the kind of fat, distorted boogie that the bearded nation loves. They're not great, just like "Wretch" wasn't great- but also just like Wretch, it's fun stuff.
Next is Halo of Snakes.The record is called "Viper letters and Murder Ballads" Nice. Atonal Metal, like latter Day Black Flag, or Bl'Ast, or all those Am Rep bands. But, as a really nice twist, the guitars aren't all muddy, as they usually are for this kind of thing. Instead they're overdriven and spiny, with some twang even. I'm much more fond of that guitar tone than I am of Greg Ginn's, so that's a treat. So, if you're like me, and love Black Flag, until death, but wished that they had discovered treble- here's your answer.
But, then, there's Hail! Hornet. It's ok, but I slightly regret the purchase. It's a bit too grindy sludge for me. It's the kind of Sludge metal that only works as thrash- the songs that clip along at Thrash speeds are nice, powerful bulldozers of songs, but when they slow it down, it sounds like rehearsal. Still, even the thrash isn't quite up to the amazing stand of the Capaces...
I don't just listen to blasting loud rock, as you can tell. So, I was glad to get the newer Ida Marie record- Katla. I wish she was where Adele is- She's an equal singer, but with much, much better songs that don't rely upon nostalgia for soul. They rely upon naked honesty, which is probably why she's not a best seller. Still, it's bluesy, glammy, retro rock with great vocals. Surely that's worth something?
It isn't exactly new, but I dug out a copy of Snapcase's End Transmission. I mentioned Snapcase a few posts back, but yes, I am a fan of latter-day Snapcase- believe it or not, Progression through Unlearning and Designs for Automation aren't really, truly moving to me. Not like End Transmission does. Bright Flashes was good, too. But for emotional depth, and pushing the boundaries of Hardcore? I'm a big fan of End Transmission. I put it into the same post hardcore category as Refused, The Rise and Quicksand, but not quite up to Refused or Quicksand. Still, this kind of post-hardcore reconnected me to my thrash past when it came out, and I love it for that, if for no other reason.If you're not familiar with Snapcase- they're like Deftones with a touch of Refused, only minus the Hip Hop theory. They specialize in lush spacey hardcore, played like they mean it.

Over to yer left

2011-07-02T08:16:00.000-07:00

See that link for exploding in sound? Yeah, follow it. Hopefully when you do so, the video footage of the mighty Kylesa will still be up. They are seriously one of the most awesome bands going, right now. They get called stoner/sludge, metal, but I find they transcend that category. Awesome Psychedelic indie/Alternative/metal/Rock. If it's not still up, here's some links:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=o83PttPl1j0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w3h2Csxh6QE&feature=player_embedded
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=Jh8Gl3hzEnI
and more from the same set:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9NFq-Kh5sGU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HrIAidNea14
If this were investment banking, I'd put Kylesa in my "aggressive growth" fund...

Totally unrelated

2011-06-28T09:47:00.000-07:00

So, besides watching TV, and rediscovering U2, I've been doing what I usually do. Here's the coolest from the past few days:
First, if you love QOTSA, check out this link. Well worth your time.
I just caught up to Germany's Ritual. Awesome band, and you should hear "Paper Skin" their new CD. Post-hardcore is becoming boring, with everyone referencing the same stuff- Fugazi and Snapcase, you know? But Ritual don't exactly sound like that. I can tell they've got some of the same influences as Fugazi and Snapcase, but... this is more like if early Refused rand head on into later Quicksand, with a yen to play "Revelations" era Killing Joke. In other words, you've got the punky-slayer hoarse screeching vocals and chuggy guitar breakdowns, mixed with strange layered rhythms covered in a frosty sheen of alternate-turned guitars. I could see them playing with Early Neurosis- to a draw, and that's saying something. Really excellent post-hardcore- and they're one of the few bands who I think are getting post-hardcore right.
Finally, I also have just got caught up with Ha Ha Tonka. Yes, they play Southern-fried Country-tinged indie rock, which is a sound you've heard before, but if Kings of Leon, My Morning Jacket and the Arcade Fire sounded like Ha Ha Tonka, I'd like them, too. Instead, only Ha Ha Tonka have the punky-indie rock drive of the Arcade Fire, married to bluegrass influenced southern rock, with superb vocal harmonies. I don't know why it took me so long to find them, but they're really good. They're so good, I would suggest them even to my friends who don't care for either indie rock nor Appalachian country. Much, much better than the similarly-sounding Mumford and Sons. I just got Death of a Decade , but I'm sure I'm getting more by them, soon.

Now, yes, these three are suggestions, and that's the only binding tie between them. However, as always, I know my taste is no better than yours- if you don't agree with any or all, that's fine. However, I hope it expands your tastes just a little- that is, I hope that an indie rock fan can get a little something from Ritual, and I hope a hardcore Punker can get a little high lonesome harmony from Ha Ha Tonka, and seriously, who doesn't like Queens of the Stone Age?

TV Eye

2011-06-26T07:02:00.000-07:00

So, finally, my Television season is starting. Yes, I actually prefer mostly "summer shows". Now, for those unaware of the evolution, it goes something like this: all TV revolves around the school year working week. So, in other words, if you're a Network TV programmer, traditionally, you'd put your strongest shows mid week (Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday) and coinciding with the start of the American school year ( September). You'd shoot 22-25 episodes of your strongest stuff (Read= Stuff that moves units in advertising) and 10-15 episodes of stuff you're taking a small chance on, with only a pilot of stuff you're shotgunning ( that is, TV concepts you're entirely unsure will sell anything, but you're willing to throw out there to try for as broad a range of consumers as possible). That formula worked for many years- y'see, kids do their homework on Mondays, and are out on Friday nights. People are not watching as much TV on weekends and summers because that's when they're on holiday. However, technology, as always, wouldn't let that sit. With VCRS and TiVO and DVR's, and DVD boxed sets of TV Shows, and changes in the American work week (the traditional 9-5, Monday through Friday is all but a myth, at this point) alongside the creation of massive amounts of broadcast space ( I've got 400 channels, how about you?) really made programmers' lives much more difficult. In the new Millenium, premium channels ( that is, pay TV networks, that aren't included in a flat cable TV rate) getting into producing TV shows really has changed the game. In particular, HBO's The Sopranos completely changed the programming rules. So, now, TV seasons are stretched out, and episodes get divided, and so on and so forth. Basically, TV programming is almost "asynchronous" with Programmers filling in 52 week slots with two seasons of Reality TV shows, and shorter seasons of scripted dramas (17-22 episodes, often with a break- the break being an "innovation" brought about by the massive writer's strike of the mid decade). The only TV still clinging to the old schedules would be Half Hour Sit Coms on Network (regular broadcast) TV.
So, my individual season, since we can have those now, would start this year near the end of June, with Burn Notice coming back on the USA network, True Blood coming back on HBO, Rescue Me coming back on FX in the beginning of July, the re-broadcast of Boardwalk Empire on HBO in July, followed up by the second season in september. Add that to my regular watching of sports (both Fake- wrestling- and real- racing, boxing, and some Football) and movies, and News, and I've got a pretty complete schedule of TV coming up for me. Mathwise, this comes out to about 12-14 hours a week, which makes for about 1.5 to 2 hours a night, which is about how much TV I watched in the fall as a kid.
The only one I've seen so far has been the season opener of Burn Notice. Now, I'm not here to say that Burn Notice is particularly deep TV. I watch it for the pretty colors and witty one liners. However, I do like that they're trying to add a little depth to the characters. Michael, it seems, is not so much motivated by a desire to serve his country, as he is by petty revenge, and preening vanity. That's interesting. Likewise, Fiona isn't so blindly attached to Michael, as she is addicted to the action he can provide. Again, interesting. They even managed to tie Michael's personality to his Mother; a nice little twist near the end. I don't know that I'd want that every week, but it's nice to add just a little depth to our cartoon spies.
True Blood, which is on tonight is more my wife's thing than mine, but I am looking forward to seeing Sam go real dark. He's one of my favorite characters on the show, and I hope they let him be a real bad guy for awhile. He's got every reason to be bad, and no real reason to be good. I'm also looking forward to seeing more Eric Northman, and less Bill, err Lux Interior (What? I can't be the only one to notice the similarity?) . So, yes, my TV season has started....

Classic Rock

2011-06-25T06:37:00.000-07:00

Yes, I hate that term, too. Doesn't everyone? Well, apart from lunkheads who wouldn't be reading this....
However, it struck me this week that there are bands that occupy that kind of headspace for me. By that I mean; most folks would talk about Elvis and the British Invasion as "Classic Rock". They might add in some 70's stuff like Led Zeppelin and The Eagles, or they might want a bit of San Francisco thrown in, but they have this echelon of musical groups in their heads that are separated and a bit sanctified. Stuff that is raised outside of the realm of critical thinking. There are some acts, as I get older that get lumped into that same sort of category for me. However, mostly because of my age, those musical artists aren't from the 1950's, 1960's or 1970's- they're from the 1980's, or very late 1970's, or very early 1990's. Oh, I get it- I'm part of Generation X, no doubt about it. However, I don't think that this kind of thinking is nearly as endemic to my generation as previous generations. I don't think we'd deign to call our music "classic", except ironically.
However, let me give you a counter example: I saw U2 this week. It was at a mega-stadium, with 85,000 people. The stage show must have cost hundreds of thousands to put on, and tickets were expensive. They put on a two hour show, and played nothing but hits. Most of the audience knew most of the words.The requisite "ooo" and "aaa" moments of technological bliss came at the right spots, and the band both looked and sounded according to the guidebook, and they even varied the songs slightly from the recordings, so's the audience wouldn't think that it was by rote. All in all, exactly the opposite of what this blog is about, and yet, I liked it because hey, man, it was U2.... See what I mean? Separate and Sanctified. Judging by T shirts and hairlines, and tattoos, there was a percentage of folks there- I'd call it at about 20%, who were just like me- people who wouldn't normally go for this kind of show, and certainly wouldn't bother to show up for The Eagles, if they did the same kind of show- and yet, here they were, and like me, they were even buying the T shirts, because "Hey, Man, it's U2". What else evokes exactly that mindset except "classic rock"? So, no, this isn't a criticism of U2, in any way. No, this isn't a review of the show. I'm reviewing myself as an audience member, and realizing that I'm prone to exactly the usual stuff for music fans.
Still, I would stack my generation's "classic rock" up against the prior generations, and I think we come up winners. Put the Beatles up against U2, put The Rolling Stones up against Motley Crue or Bon Jovi (doesn't really matter) and Put The Who up against The Clash, and my generation wins at least twice, depending upon how you count it. If you're talking hits, U2/Crue/Bon Jovi win easily. If you're talking Artistic merit, U2/Clash take on all the above- and yes, I mean that. If you're talking about advancing the Culture, as a whole, U2/Clash win again vs Beatles/Stones/Who. Yes, I know, for our Baby-boomer controlled media all this is heresy but I am saying it's the truth. So, U2 as a "tentpole" act for me? In a way, yes, but that's a mighty big tentpole.

A quick note of disappointment

2011-06-14T20:01:00.000-07:00

I just want to express my disappointment with Amazon/Itunes' "Audible" system. Quite frankly, it was a failure on all fronts for me. The interface, and downloading instructions were difficult, if not impossible. The software didn't work and was incompatible with my Itunes software, and if not for precautionary software I already had, uninstalling would've been a real bitch, too. All I can say is that I don't support piracy, but it would've been easier, quicker, and better to just find a torrent of Samuel Jackson reading "Go the F*ck to sleep", so until the legal software can catch up to the illegal, I really can't say that I blame others for pirating. The only reason why I don't pirate is because I worked for so many years in the entertainment system, that it feels wrong to me to not pay the "cover charge". Seriously, that's it. The legal system is full of jackasses (Hello, RIAA!) and the software they peddle is lousy (Hello everything from DRM-infected downloads to Audible, to even Adobe) and most pirates seem like good people to me, but I cannot make the leap because of my personal history.

Metal Rulez!

2011-06-12T08:06:00.000-07:00

I keep on saying that I'm not a metal head, yet I keep on writing about the metal bands I'm listening to. I can understand how that might seem like the kind of pretentious denial that indie hipsters have been practising since the media discovery of youth subculture. You know the "don't label me" tripe?
The issue, there, though is that I don't care if you label me. You want to say I'm a Metalhead, Punk, poseur, Indie hipster, aging grunge head, whatever, I don't care. It's your call, because it won't affect me.
The reason why I wouldn't label myself as any of the above is because my aesthetics don't conform to the rules of the genres. I don't care about virtuoso musicianship- I see that as a trap. I don't think loudness or distortion prove much of anything- they're just tools to get across feelings and thoughts. I don't care about tempo because I'm not much of a dancer. I could care less about which clothes the musicians wear, and I don't care what instruments they play either. I'm not one for "authenticity" in the music- by the time I get to hear it, it's in the world of commerce anyway, so quite frankly, authenticity, "being real", and so forth are already compromised. I don't believe that a song, in and of itself, does anything- it's what people do in reaction to it that counts. So, when I say I'm no metalhead, no goth, or no punk, it's not me trying to put myself above it- I'm warning any potential readers that my tastes are bound to disappoint you, if you are one of these.
I can give you two examples from this morning.
I've been listening to the new Pain cd- "You only Live Twice", and the last Surfact Cd "Euphoria". So, Pain, as you may or may not know, was Peter Tagtgren's side project from Hypocrisy, his thrash/death metal band. I say "was" because the sales and longevity of Pain are starting to eclipse Hypocrisy's. So, "real" Metalheads are prone to hating Pain, because it's taking Peter bit by bit away from "true metal' and more into experimental dance pop. Certainly, there's tons of industrial metal on even this new record, and it's probably heavier than several of the prior Pain records, but the parts that are bringing in a bigger audience and that I like about Pain, and not Hypocrisy is the reliance upon Pop songcraft- there are hooks, choruses, and relatively straight forward dance beats. There are harmonies, and moments of reflection, not constant intensity. This isn't a top 40 Pop confection, to be sure, but still, as compared to Hypocrisy, it's ABBA. Now, I really am a big fan of Pain (the band, silly) because I'm not a big fan of Pain (the physical sensation, dummy)- and that's what the "real" metalheads seem to be missing. They like everything to be intense. The terms they'll use from "shredding" to "brutal" all convey the intensity adequately- they like pain. I don't. So, I'll listen to Pain, all day long before I'll listen to Hypocrisy. Some intensity, some moments of extremity are valuable as shade to the light, but I don't want everything to be about that. I like some sunshine with my rain.
Which brings me to Surfact. Now, if you're not in Denmark, there's a good chance you won't know who I mean. They're a Danish rock band that sound, for all the world, to me, like Filter, but with much better production. We're talking American Pop Princess levels of production. The kind of studio glitz that makes everything into a kind of midrange hum and drone. You know that very comfortable buzz that makes stuff on the radio pleasant enough to hear that you don't change the channel, but you cannot remember a single note? That kind of production. So, why listen to Surfact, and why not just listen to Britney Spears? Because it's still rock, underneath all that shiny glitz. It's like diamonds- where it's very, very pretty, but sharp enough to cut through glass. The edge that it has isn't about hurting or cutting, though. It's more about urgency and plaintiveness. That kind of vulnerability, that kind of humanity inside the glitz is far more intriguing to me than either the raw honesty or cool glamour that most pop music serves up. Surfact sound like teenagers given shiny new sportscars by Daddy. I can understand how some folks would hate them, but I feel for them, a bit, having been given things they don't really seem to grasp. I'm willing to bet, they thought they were gonna be an Ozzfest styled band, and had no idea that they were being made into Linkin Park's poppier cousins. Enjoying that runs a bit counter to the punk and metal stylebook, don't you think?
So, If you want to think I'm any kind of purist do so at your own peril....

The Goldilocks mean

2011-06-11T06:59:00.001-07:00

Yeah, I bet that if you've heard of "The Golden Mean", that's about all the deeper you've gone into it. That's fair enough. I'm not going to get all didactic on you, and try to teach you that it's not quite a 1:1 ratio. Instead, I'll use the common misconception to talk about sludge metal.
See, most folks see it more or less like the Goldilocks story- this porridge is too hot, this is too cold, but this final bowl of gruel is just right. The problem is that folks miss the subjectivity. What's too hot to one is too cold to another. So, there's no one good balance, right?
Well, it becomes easier if you see it more or less as a range, as most people will grudgingly concede. But, I'm not most people. Rather that put it into a nice blurry sludge like that, I'd prefer to see it as competing spikes. The low end around the edges would be the extremes that you don't like, and the peak of the spike is what you like, exactly. You have your spikes, for your tastes, and I've got my spikes for mine. With me so far? Then, you'll surely follow me through to understand that just like spiked belts, the continuity is established when your spikes and mine are roughly the same, but if they're not, you end up with one of those horrible mismatched wierd-ass pseudo metal belts that the disco dollies wore a few years back to try to look like "rock chicks". What I'm getting at, to return to Goldilocks, is that you have to start with the same kind of gruel for the comparison to mean anything- if your starting point is very different from mine, it's meaningless to have us on the same scale, or the same range. It only works if we're the same kind of spikes, geddit? So, that's what we're gonna call the "goldilocks mean".
So, If you agree with me that sludge metal is, in essence, a mix between retro-70's elements (from prog/metal types like Blue Cheer, Deep purple, Uriah Heep, and most especially Black Sabbath) and Thrash (from more metallic types like Discharge, Tragedy, Cro Mags, DRI, COC and so on) with an over-arching post punk aesthetic ( either Goth or hardcore, but never New Wave) then, let's talk about what makes the mix "right".
See, a lot of bands go way overboard on the retro end of things. From Fu Manchu, to Lo Pan, a lot are basically 1970's boogies with a few bellows thrown in. I'm not really into that, thanks. Now, I love some stuff that dips pretty heavily into that end of the muck- but usually, that's the exception, not the rule- so this would be the lower, flatter end of the spike ( Even if I do like some Clutch, and the aforementioned Lo Pan's "Salvador" is a new one worth giving a listen).
Still other bands try way too hard to be hard. Everyone from Eyehategod to Black Tusk gets a bit too screamy and belligerent. Dudes, I have news for you- it's only music. You're not firing guns, you're not physically threatened, you're playing in a rock band. It can look pretty damn silly. So, again, we're near the belt, not the sky.
Such extremes are obvious. What gets harder to define is the peak of the spike. I would submit it's bands like Torche, Kylesa, the newly revitalised Red Fang, and now, Coliseum. I had written them off as a sublevel thrash band, so I've only recently heard last year's "House with a Curse". I actually picked it up because I heard it dissed so hard by former fans of the band. When I see some 19 year old jaded hipster hardcore type in tattoos and skinny jeans say a band "used to be good, but now they're all mainstream" I get a bit interested. When I hear a clip like Blind in One Eye I get far more intrigued. Now, this is "Coliseum" mind you, not "Colosseum" who do doomy- sludge completely not my style. And tell me that this track doesn't win you over. If not, you may like the other Colosseum. And you're on another spike. But, for me, that's the Goldilocks mean.

The Goth King Sings

2011-06-08T20:38:00.000-07:00

Peter Murphy just released his ninth solo album, appropriately, if simply, called "Ninth".
So, let's get the obvious out of the way: was I a big fan of Bauhaus? Yes, I was. However, I'm not enough of any kind of purist to consider myself a goth, or an ex goth, or whatever. I never wore all black, never wore makeup, didn't like a ton of "Goth" mainstays, like Alien Sex Fiend, The Mission, and latter day Christian Death. I got into some bands that got called "goth" like Joy Division, Killing Joke, Bauhaus, and Kommunity FK not for some kind of creepy death obsession of bad poetry. I thought they were all pretty good post punk, that's all. I don't see a huge difference, musically, between Bauhaus and "Sandanista" era Clash. Sure, they like minor keys, but so did Japan at the time, and who calls them Goth?
So, I didn't buy this for goth nostalgia. Also, the last Peter Murphy I bought was "Deep", in 1990. No, I'm not pining for his 1990's output. What I liked about Should the World Fail to Fall Apart, Love Hysteria, and Deep and what I like about this brand new one is the full range of emotions, and he only seems to have that whenever he's just left Bauhaus. Seriously- he left the first time in the mid 1980's, and between Dali's Car, and the first couple of solo records, he's on Bowie-esque fire- going from hard glam to lushly orchestrated neo-standards track to track. Now, he left Bauhaus in 2009, and he puts this out, and I was expecting a return to the failed Turkish pop of Dust, but instead this is again, a Bowie-esque mix of standards and Glam rock- like Bing Crosby joins Slade. I've downloaded it to my itunes, and listened to it twice, and it came out yesterday. Get the notion? Yes, it's very sweeping melodramatic music, with serious mood swings, and Murphy's odd croon. But- I've not heard glammy post punk with this kind of range since Murphy and Andrew Eldritch were locked into some kind of race to see who could out "Heroes" Bowie ( and if you can't hear the debt to Bowie, I'd suggest you go back and re-listen to everything Bowie put out from 1976 to 1982, then get back to me) Highlights are the singles "I spit Roses" and "Seesaw Sway" but also rockers like "Uneven & Brittle".
Is it nostalgia, because he's returned to a sound I wish he'd never left? I guess it could be. But, I don't want a Peter Murphy album where he plays a bunch of dubstep and baroque folk music. I like him doing a particularly glammy and theatrical kind of Alt rock and pop. I like the songs to have some reverb on the guitars, some fretless bass, and that baritone croon. That's his sound, his corner of the market, and so I'd call it no more nostalgia than I'd say that Levi's are doing nostalgia for making jeans. So, fine, call him the Goth King. If you want to reduce it down to that, feel free. But just listen to him sing...

Alice, Sweet Alice

2011-06-04T17:57:00.000-07:00

I'm a freak. I don't mean that to say that I'm a hippie, stoner, Punk Rocker or some other fad. See, I'm always that one step off. As an example, I've been thinking about how much I loved Alice Cooper. Not so strange? Here's the thing, I kinda sorta hated the 1970's Alice Cooper ( a couple of songs were worthwhile, but otherwise, useless to me) and I definitely hate the sober, resting on his laurels Alice of the 1990's onwards. The Alice Cooper I love is the blackout drunk from the early to mid 1980's. Yup, the totally disowned records: Flush the Fashion, Special Forces, and Zipper Catches Skin. I still listen to those records, but when I mention how much I like Alice Cooper, people think I mean stuff like Only Women Bleed, and School's Out, both of which are absolute drek to me, and were part of the reason I hated music in the 1970's.
So, I mention song I like, such as "Who Do You Think We Are" and "Grim Facts" and "I like Girls", and people have no idea. I think that the reason why I like them, and the reason why Vincent Furnier was so self destructive while making them are two sides of the same coin: this is the point where the wheels had come off- where the pieces were worn out and couldn't be made to work. See, that's right where a shock rocker becomes truly shocking. He wasn't playing at being a monster, he was doing everything he could to stop the monster he was becoming, even if it killed him. The music was furious and thrashing, like the band, even was trying to escape from Rocknroll. That's where it gets interesting to me, because that's an honest tension, and something I can understand- the point at which you cannot continue with where you've been going, but you don't yet understand where you should go next. So, you do fake new wave songs dressed half in drag, and half like Rambo. That clicks with me.I can relate to that. See, that's what I mean by saying that I'm a freak- I've always been on that edge where the past has to be dropped, but I can't see the future, just yet. I've grown comfortable with that feeling. I don't think Alice ever did, and so, believe it or not, I feel sorry for the man Vincent Furnier has become.

Red Fang

2011-06-01T20:54:00.000-07:00

So, yes, I like hard rock. I wouldn't exactly call myself a punk or a metal head, though. I just like really loud rocknroll. I think that fits Red Fang, as well. They've been called Stoner Metal, Doom indie, Sludge punk, and (my favorite) Beer Metal. But, really, they just play really loud Rock. They've got an active sense of humour, and a bullet belt of "Hell Yeah!" riffs, to pair up with their love of facial hair and beer. You'll probably think of bands like Black Sabbath, and Queens of the Stone Age, but I'm hearing everything from AC/DC to ZZ Top. They're just damn fine, very loud rock music. With Pabst. And foot long beards. and sleazoid guitars that appear to be welded pieces of other intruments, fished out from the Puget sound. Oh, and Tecate. Maybe some Schaefer.
Look, I was thinking earlier about how hard it is getting to trust anyone or anything, when everybody seems to want to sell you on something. Everybody from your favorite politician to that girl who smiled at you at the gas station, that you thought might be flirting, but then, you realized was smiling that same way to every guy who came in. Rock bands, especially want to sell you on some concept, or some marketing ploy, so's you'll buy an extra T shirt at the merch table. I'm not trying to sell you on anything, here. I make a pretty good salary, enough that I can afford to buy somewhere around 100 CDs a year, and download a bunch more stuff. Between that and the free stuff, I bet I hear about 365 new releases per year. I know most folks can't keep up with that. Most folks I know maybe download 20 songs in a month, if that. They might buy 6 CDs in a year. So, if you went out and bought everything I suggested, you'd be pretty poor, pretty quick.
All that having said, if you do buy just 1 CD per month, go stream some Red Fang, and decide for yourself if you want to buy it. I'm seriously happy I bought the new one Murder the Mountains. I wasn't the biggest fan of their first record, but it had some moments. This one is an instant classic to me. I'm getting the same joy from this that I did when I heard Rated R by QOTSA: a band that I sorta liked suddenly was awesome. So, yes, I think Red Fang are awesome.

Only Partly about Music: White Zombie

2011-05-30T06:21:00.000-07:00

So, as of late, I've been writing a lot about different musical groups, primarily alt rock. You'd be forgiven for thinking that this is a music blog. I suppose, it is partially. But, primarily, it's my pop culture blog- operative word being "my"- which for those few who know (I think that's maybe 3 people at this point) means that I don't see the arts as discreet separate entities. Sometimes, the best part of a film is the soundtrack, sometimes the best part of a book are the pictures, sometimes a band looks cooler than their music is, sometimes a comedian is a better dramatic actor, and so on. It all blurs together, for me. To give you some concrete examples, let me present today's subject: White Zombie.
Primarily, they were a band. At times, they were a great rocknroll band. However, if you subtract the graphics, they're greatly diminished. If you further strip away the psychotronic poetry of their endless pop culture references embedded in the lyrics, they're getting to be pretty insignificant. On top of that, if you remove their remixes, they've got only about 60 minutes of decent music. Then, if you want to straight jacket them only to the Alt-Metal sound they popularized, you're left with a handful of singles. So, to appreciate them for what they really were, you've got to re-align how you define the Arts- they were a performance troupe, playing music, making graphics, doing disguised pop culture criticism, constructing sideshow dramas, and creating personas.
So, If I'm going to talk about them, I've got to not only talk about the music, I've also got to talk about the T shirts, the stage show, the references, and so on. For example, the point of their apex, musically, is mixed : some of Soul Crusher, when they played noise rock, is right up there with the Birthday Party and Sonic Youth for skronk with a purpose, and much better than better lauded peers like Live Skull and Pussy Galore. It wasn't until Astro Creep that they matched the musical vision, albeit in a different genre (by now, they were more definite, and played a metallic boogie rock, like the Allman brothers, minus swing but on steroids)Graphically, however, they never topped out- though I think there are several weak points, musically with their breakthrough record "La Sexorcisto..."- graphically, it's a tour-de-force of what we can call "Zombieland", a strange carnivalesque pastiche of Rat Fink, classic Horror flicks, psychedelia, professional wrestling, punk rock, and 1970's tabloid exploitation, and exceeded only by the addition of the dystopian scifi elements of Astro Creep. What I am saying is that I don't think I'd go out of my way to get the CD, but I'd pay decent money to get one of the T shirts from around the Sexorcisto era.The real deal, though would be the live show- a zombieland combination of Kiss and Gwar with a large amount of American sideshow.
What brings it up is that I'm reading Sean Yseult's "I'm in the Band". Like most musicians, Sean is no writer. At her best, she reaches a "teen Beat" style of gushing, and she relies a lot of testimonials from others. However, she's a gifted photographer, and there's some really great photography. Also, her more cartoon-y take on Zombieland is charming, almost cuddly. The graphics are actually much more communicative than the writing: I'd almost prefer to see this as some kind of a PowerPoint presentation, sold on a thumb drive, or something...
So, that got me to dig out the CD/record collection. Yes, Astro Creep, and Supersexy Swingin' Sounds are just as amazing as you probably remember, but I am struck by how complete, and devastating Soul Crusher is. It's truly under-rated: from the weird biker-movie homage-montage of the cover art ( it's like cramming "Wild Angels" into a photo)to the pioneering use of samples, to the completely unhinged vocals ( Rob never sounded quite so psycho, again) to the ramshackle chug of the tunes it neatly sums up the early 1990's... in 1987! The next two records are really tame, by comparison. Make Them Die Slowly is metallic in all the wrong ways- it sounds about like how it would feel to try to actually eat the CD, and the songs are artsy-fartsy fanboy attempts at Thrash metal. It even looks bland. La Sexorcisto, looks amazing. From the super-groovy tattoo flash graphics to the glow in the dark translucent vinyl (yes, I have the vinyl) Yes, Thunderkiss is a great mash up of Kiss and Pantera. But, most of the songs meander about in search of a hook. The guitars sound very shiny and clean, which betrays all the supposed psychotic babble of the lyrics. It's just not right. The EP "Nitecrawlers", allows Sascha from KMFDM to correct the musical flaws, and he (rightfully) turns White Zombie's sound to a kind of metallic disco stomp, which suits the dichotomy of creamy guitars with twisted lyrics. I think it was that lesson that allows them to make Astro Creep- which is a stone classic, and you should already own it.I don't think main man, Rob Zombie has topped Astro Creep until he went into films. So, rather than talk about his solo career, I'd prefer to talk about his films- and by "his Films" I mean House of 1000 corpses and The Devil's Rejects. (Again, see what I mean about how I don't see White Zombie as being complete if you just talk music?) House of 1000 corpses is a fantastic slasher film, that takes a left turn in the last third, into a surreal monster movie. Honestly, I cannot think of another movie quite like it. It's structured just like a classic grindhouse slasher film, until the real mayhem gets unleashed, and then it gets crazier than a Jodorowsky film. You've got everything from respirators to bunny costumes to zombies to mutants, to fields on fire to hallucinatory sound montages. Absolutely amazing. The Devil's Rejects is yet another amazing mash up- this time between Revenge movie (Billy Jack, Standing Tall, etc) Slasher Film ( I spit on your grave) and outlaw biker flick ( think Hell's Angels on Wheels) There are moments in it that are genuinely disturbing (the scenes with Bill Mosely and Priscilla Barnes come immediately to mind) and some moments of beauty not seen outside of Westerns in American films.
See, again- it's not about one form, it's about finding those artistic moments that appeal to you. That's what I'm about. I might concentrate pretty heavily on music, but that's because it's the form that speaks loudest to me. Heck, keep in mind, I'm a trained Cameraman, in addition to being a sound engineer- in fact, I think that there are those who'd argue I'm a better videographer than anything else I've done. As should be obvious, here, I also am not unfamiliar with the English language so I can write, too. Ergo, why would I put all my eggs into a CD basket? That'd be a real Zodiac Mindwarp. (hehehe)

Seen the New Jane's Track, yet?

2011-05-29T06:18:00.000-07:00

Well, stop delaying. It's right here, and it is awesome.
One warning- if Nekkid Women offend/worry/bother you, it might be a bit much for you.

Blackmail

2011-05-27T21:56:00.001-07:00

There are probably too many bands with "black" as part of their name, so points deducted for the name.
On top of that, there's something willfully obscure about the band. They sing in English, but they're a decidedly German band. I mean, the only way I could get any of their music was either illegally, or via German Itunes or German Amazon. So- unless I'm a German who speaks English, I'm afraid I'd be out of the target demographic- and thus it's very likely that unless you are a German who speaks English, you won't have heard of Blackmail, apart from the criminal act. But such is my dedication that when i was told I should hunt them down, I did. I could not afford to get several of their releases, so I did skip buying the new one, "Anima Now!" which upon streaming it, it does sound pretty, and resonates well. Instead, I threw in my lot with 2008's "Tempo Tempo"- and it's very rewarding. This is fairly gritty Indie Rock, along the lines of latter-day grunge. I could seem them on a bill with the Afghan Whigs, Toadies and Hum. However, the songwriting is stronger than that might indicate. Actually, I can see some Greg Dulli in the songwriting, which is a fairly high compliment. There's also a solid Mod component- shades of the Who and Kinks are present fairly often. Seeing as most folks won't share my enthusiasm for northern European Indie Rock ( Hey, I'm self-aware enough to know it's an obsession of mine. If it was made by folks somewhere north of France, west of the Ukraine, and East of England, I'll give it a shot, pretty much without question) why am I bothering to tell anyone about my purchase of a three year old record by a band readers will not have heard, and most likely won't try to hear? Because I would encourage them to do likewise. Maybe you have a yen for Japanese Oi!, or Mexican Jazz. Follow that muse! Go with it, because the miracle of the Information Age is that it is possible to follow that out. Yes, that is miraculous- consider, I heard of the band, for the first time on Wednesday. Today is very early Saturday. I streamed records on Thursday, and downloaded my selection Friday morning,burned a CD from my Itunes library within 20 minutes, listened to that CD in the Car, and my Ipod during the day- and here we are, with me expressing my joy with the band. Now, imagine it's 1981. First, I would have had to somehow actually visit their part of Germany long enough to hear the band, and figure out where I'd order the record from, assuming that such a thing were possible. Then, I'd type up my review, Xerox my fanzine, maybe offset the printing, and you'd have to randomly find my Zine. That's a pretty amazing change, in only 30 years- as big a change as from horses to planes. It also makes it such a shame that most people simply accept the Top 40 with minor variations, around the globe. There are such treasures out there, that it's almost crime to settle for the Black Eyed Peas, or Doughtry.
So, if you want to hear a German band that mixes Who-ish Power Pop with Afghan Whigs styled high tension grooves, Blackmail are your boys, and I'd hunt them down if I were you. But, more than that, I'd say to follow that format- hunt down whatever strange niche you enjoy- the days of the finite choices are not now.

Partial Vindication in Studebaker's Blacksmith Shop

2011-05-24T21:22:00.000-07:00

I mentioned the band before, stating that they were good, but held back by somewhat stiff vocals. Well, they've got a newer release out, called "Excuse me, are you Sick?" and it's getting much better. The vocals are still a bit stiff in parts, but the music has gone far less stoner, and far more plain old "alt rock', so the vocals sound less out of place, even if they get overly formal still. For some reason, the end effect reminds me a bit of Belly, but that's probably something strange from the back of my brain.
I think the best way I can describe this altered direction is that similar to Garcia, they've injected a lot of pop music into a stoner-alt base. I mean, I can hear the Queens of the Stone Age influence, but also some Nine Inch Nails, with some of The Gathering and now, some of Pandora's.box (yes, I can finally hear the connection) So it's getting to be pretty good robot rock. I really like the electronic flourishes and when Kerstin scrapes up her voice a bit. So, yeah, "Asshole Dance" is a standout for me. So is album closer "Therapy". Hey, it's free, if nothing else, but seriously, that's not the best reason to get it. There are literally hundreds of thousands of free albums out there. The main reason to get this is that it's good music, that blows away the weak drek you'll hear even on "Alt Rock" American Radio stations. I will admit, I'd like a little more polish on the production, and a bit more rawness to the performances, but it's still unique music- stoner electro rock with female vocals- and the vision is becoming much more clear.

Mainstream Sellout

2011-05-22T09:47:00.000-07:00

Yes, of course I am. I listen to the hitmakers, let me tell you.
For example, I can see the hype, so I know it's time to listen to Raphael Saadiq- never mind the fact that all he's doing is a the typical career makeover we've seen 100 times before- bland popstar goes "retro" by exploring their "roots". In Raphael's case it's slightly more hipster, in that late 1960's soul is having a moment right now, but how is this different from Sting going Jazz back in the late 1980's or Everlast going folk in the late 1990's? But, I must not think bad thoughts, and accept that this is somehow much more cool than Cee Lo Green, because this is marketed to indie hipsters, and I want so very badly to be an indie hipster. When's he playing Coachella?
All snark aside, there are some good singles on his past two records, and he does a pretty blistering cover of "Search and Destroy" at rock festivals, but download what you like, and ignore the rest because I think this is a pretty naked marketing ploy- it'd be insulting to buy in.

Another example is how I spent yesterday. I went to go see Everclear. You remember them? The "acceptable" grunge band who did Dad rock songs about broken homes? See, I know my demographic- this is exactly what 40 somethings are supposed to do. It's either Adult Alternative or Country, and hey, Everclear do a little of both.
But, here's the twist- I actually like a lot of Everclear's stuff, and I think Art is a relatively honest songwriter. On top of that, I was going with my wife and son to Rock the Farm, which is a benefit for local kids. If that's not enough, when my son was very little, Everclear was one of his favorite bands, and he and I used to bond over singing songs from "Sparkle and Fade" usually with modified lyrics ( example- his mother and I lived 7 hours by car apart from each other. When I'd come to get him, we'd sing a modified version of Everclear's Santa Monica, while we drove through the desert "We could be beside the Ocean/ Leave this fire behind/Swim out into the breakers/and watch my car die") so, much as I might like Everclear or not, getting a chance to see them with my son was a priority. Oh, and by the way, the show was pretty good. It was plagued by some technical problems, but the opening act was the local school of rock, and it was pretty awesome to see really enthusiastic teens and pre teens having a "rock moment", getting to play on the same stage with a rock star, and then, getting to hang out with that same rock star, after the show. So, yeah, it might play into my demographic, but that's the kind of community I saw lacking in the hipper than thou circles. Seriously, I saw dudes wearing Amon Amarth T shirts playing with 4 year olds at a giant slide. That's a community for you.

Jesu

2011-05-21T06:22:00.000-07:00

God Bless Justin Broadrick. That guy has brought so very much to the world. Napalm Death, Godflesh, Final, Head of David, etc. But beyond that, he's brought us Jesu. I could say that Jesu is the best Metalgaze Drone ambient doom metal pop band in the world, but that's a bit stupid, as only Jesu makes the kind and type of music that they do. Imagine a band inspired in equal part by Killing Joke, Psychick TV and A R Kane. Yeah, that's hard to do, so consider just listening to Jesu, instead.
People are telling me today the world ends. Of course, it's only right and proper to take the piss out on such people- however, I've got an even better idea: give them a soundtrack. Jesu just released Ascension. It's absolutely perfect. If I woke up to a post apocalypse scenario tomorrow, it would make for the absolute perfect sound track. It's full of a beautiful, grand, desolate sadness. It's the sound of a man plagued by demons once the demons have left, and that man realizes those demons were the only friends he had. In other words, it's that painful sensation of first enlightenment, all full of tragedy and transcendence.
But of those of us who do not believe that the rapture is today? It's still a really excellent set of songs to put on the Ipod.

Yeah, I'm in my 40's, what of it?

2011-05-18T17:51:00.000-07:00

So, I hit upon Hammerbox on my Ipod twice today, and it got me thinking.
Ask a 20 something about Grunge, and they might talk about Pearl Jam, Nirvana or Soundgarden. Fair enough, I guess. Those of us who were there could name a dozen better bands, but tastes vary, don't they?
Where it gets more interesting is if you ask about female fronted grunge bands. I'm willing to bet that if they can name any, it'll be Hole. Unfortunately, let's just get this out of the way- Hole sucks. Not "Courtney Love sucks". No, Hole as a band sucks. The "songs" at best are derivative of Courtney's collaborators, the playing is tired and vapid, and the image is a lousy attempt at what others did better. Now, I truly loathe Courtney, as only those who know her real name do, but there's enough gossipy bulldada out there. I mean that the best that Hole could do as a band, in a just universe would be overshadowed by several dozen better bands.
So, in an effort to bring about a little of that justice, I'd like to bring up just 4 of those bands that are better. Maybe it'll inspire someone. Heck, maybe, in my little dream world, someone will read this, hear one of these bands and form a band inspired by one of them, and good music will live on.... Yeah, right.
So, first is Hammerbox. They're one of the top 100 bands ever for me. Considering that I've heard literally tens of thousands of bands, just since 1990, when I first heard Hammerbox, let alone the thousands of bands I heard before, it means yes, I really really like them. See, first let's talk dynamics. Most Alt bands just learn dynamics from the Pixies. LOUDquietLOUD, you know? Hammerbox do that, but they also do slowFASTslow, MAJORminorMAJOR, and Oddmeterevenmeter. Think of it as Alt rock with a prog rock education. But that wouldn't work if the songs didn't gel, but they do because of an unerring sense of what feel fits the dynamics- country, jazz, punk, rock, whatever suits. Also, Carrie Akre could sing in ways I've not heard before nor since. She could croon, bellow, snarl, screech and chirp all in the course of one song. For an example, here's their meisterwerk- When 3 is 2. Tell me it's a bad song, go on. Especially the first guitar solo, and the final bridge where Carrie is incoherent. Between those two moments alone, Hammerbox blows away the competition.
Then, There's the Nymphs. Imagine if Courtney Love had actual talent, could focus her rage at targets, and was versed in pagan rites. You're getting close to Inger Lorre. The band played a more metallic version of alt-rock than most. It ends up sounding a bit like a gothic punk version of Led Zeppelin. If that doesn't get you, you might be Sad and Damned. Heheh. Honestly, they had the potential to be the band to inherit the throne Jane's Addiction were abdicating, at the time.
But, we're talking about Grunge, right? When I think of "grunge", more than I think of Nirvana or Alice in Chains, or even Mudhoney, I think of L7. I mean, look at them. Yeesh. But the music? Well, if you like Black Sabbath, Motorhead, The Runaways and the Germs- this would be the result of combining all the above.I read something about some female metal band the other day, about how heavy they were, and I chuckled. L7 were heavier than the Melvins, and never got the credit for it. I can't really explain why people have been so quick to forget L7, except maybe it's that they don't fit preconceived notions- but I cannot think of a single sludge/stoner/doom band that carries over nothing from L7 (yes, the multiple negatives has a meaning) So, listen and decide.
Again, it's not about Courtney. She was actually in a much better band than Hole. Babes in Toyland render Hole completely moot. Virtually everything on the first two Hole records had already been done better by Kat Bjelland's band. There's something dark, chthonic and twisted about Babes in Toyland that places them more in a post-punk setting than grunge, yet, there's enough earthiness that yes, I think they qualify. What they really remind me of, more than music, is the super-gritty horror/exploitation films of the 1970's- Last House on the Left, I spit on Your Grave, Texas Chainsaw massacre- that sort of thing.

See, and that still leaves out at least a dozen bands. I didn't even have to raise the dead, and talk about the Gits, or Seven Year Bitch. But, this little exercise isn't just about some 45 year old's nostalgia- the point is that there are thousands upon thousands of bands, so there is no need to settle upon a single one as representation of any one thing. On top of that, it's to your detriment to accept whatever the mass marketing machine just throws at you. You could do this same exercise wit ummm, Mongolian Hardcore bands, or African Techno artists- the mass media likes for things to have a face put on it- so when Grunge became a thing, they could prepackage it with Kurt and Courtney as the face on it. That did a huge disservice to not only all the bands who were actually better, but also to all the people who were ignorant of the reality of being a small-scale independent rock band in 1992- because they were robbed of getting a rich, and vibrant experience. That's only part of the injustice of accepting mass culture, but I'm not trying to be didactic, just having some fun....

My face is red

2011-05-14T21:01:00.000-07:00

Oi, what a mistake! I don't think I've even mentioned that I've been listening to Wire's new one, Red Barked Tree, since umm, mid January!
To rectify that, there are three basic facts that should be known-
1. Wire is wire, regardless of who's missing. They are the only band I know like that, where one of the core members can be gone for years, and the band still retains the same essence. Robert Gotobed was gone, and it was still wire. Guitar player Bruce Gilbert has been gone much of the millennium, and it's still Wire.
2. Wire isn't punk, or Prog, or post punk, or whatever else. They occupy a completely unique spot, and therefore are outside of pop music conventions. You cannot judge them based upon those parameters. It'd be like judging a comic book and installation Art on the same rubric.
3. Wire are a "foundational" band for me- by which I mean, if not for being a fan of Wire since I was 15, I wouldn't be the same guy, now, 30 years later.

So, yes, I like it, but that's besides the point. How does it hold up to other Wire releases? It's as good as Pink Flag, not as good as Chairs Missing, better than 154, much better than Document and Eyewitness,better than The Ideal Copy, Not as good as A bell is a Cup until its Struck, as good as IBTABA, better than Manscape, a bit better than the First Letter, as good as Send, and better than Object 47. So, basically, I'd say it's the third or fourth Wire record you should buy. Get The Ideal Copy, first. Seriously, it's one of those things that if you really consider it, it will alter your perception, forever. But, after you've got that, and A Bell is a Cup..., and possibly Pink Flag- it's a toss up between this one and Send. Get the picture? It's very good, and if it was the new record by, say, The Killers, I'd be blown away at the improvement in quality, but as far as Wire standards go, it's middle of the pack.

( a quick thank you to Jonathon for reminding me. )

My name is HENRY, and I'm FINE with That....

2011-05-14T13:06:00.000-07:00

Henry just pointed out that you, too, can see the flag: Dave Markey put up the video

Having seen the Flag, both before and after Henry, I gotta say there's no comparison. Not the same band. Black Flag before Henry was a truly dangerous Punk Rock band, but with Henry they became the kind of rebel-without-a-cause unfocused threat that death Metal bands pretend to be. They were human beings, sure, but the thing they were live was like the most dangerous guy you know, on PCP, and armed with a machete. I gave up part of my brain for them. No, seriously. I did one of those "where did everybody go?" stage dives, concussed myself, but refused to leave until I saw the whole show, which caused the brain to get damaged. Even though I cannot remember the show, it was worth it.
What more reason do you need?

The Bloody Beetroots

2011-05-13T20:00:00.000-07:00

I'm not trying to pretend to be up on the latest trends. Heck, after the beatdown I've taken this week at work, I'm not trying to claim to be much of anything.
But, I do keep my ear to the ground. I try to see what's coming along, and gauge for myself if it's worthwhile. For example, I think the electronics-infused post-pop coming out of Belgium, the Netherlands, France, Denmark and Germany is worth staying alert over. I'm not saying they'll rule the airwaves, or get lauded in the history books, because pop culture doesn't work that way. Smart stuff like dEUS, Ghinzu, Silence is Sexy, Kashmir, and so on always occupies a kind of "cult" niche. Likewise, some music just isn't fit for mass tastes, like the thrash punk of bands like The Capaces, or the math rock of the United Sons of Toil, because the aesthetics are so far removed from mainstream "pop". However, I think such things are worth hearing because they're exploring the limits of pop music in interesting ways. Then, of course, some stuff, whether it garners mainstream attention or not, is just worthwhile, and I feel like it's just as snobbish to turn down the popular as it is to turn down the unpopular- such is the case with a lot of the Stoner/Doom metal coming out of the deep south like Kylesa and Torche.
So, what I'm saying is that, like the title of the Blog, I'm finding my best path is individual, not mass. I've already gone over the theoretical underpinnings so I won't go there again- but I'm still surprised when the individualistic, idiosyncratic path converges with the mainstream. Exhibit A would be the Bloody Beetroots. They're not playing MTV or Clear Channel. They're actually pretty damn smart, and artistically ambitious. They play a challenging melange of dubstep, techno, minimalism and experimental electronics. Minus the 4 on the floor dance elements, they'd be right there with early industrial noise merchants like Non, SPK, Throbbing Gristle and Whitehouse. So, it surprises me that by casting the net so wide out onto "long tail" territory, they're able to garner the fanbase they have. We're talking thousands of folks paying to see an italian duo (or trio) wearing Venom masks, quoting situationists, playing atonal noise at bonesplintering volume, and liking it. I know it's a validation of what I believe (that the modern marketplace, due to the widespread availability of quality recording gear, and the easy distribution offered up by the internet now isn't about "stars" but about audiences gathering around shared tastes) but it still surprises me to see it laid out so starkly. My son's friends hear Bloody Beetroots tracks, and decide to put it on their Ipads- and we're talking teenagers who otherwise listen to Linkin Park or Katy Perry. That impresses me. So, even if you don't share my enthusiasm for their music, I'd suggest you watch how the process unfolds. I think it promises to be fascinating. I'm not saying that as an arbiter of taste, but rather as just a guy who's been watching this shiny machine we call pop culture for over a quarter century. There is something new under the sun, but what it is, remains to be determined.

Nice Abortion joke

2011-05-11T20:17:00.000-07:00

There aren't any nice abortion jokes, are there? Maybe somebody should tell The Coathangers, because apart from the name and some forceful vocals, they actually come across as pretty nice. I know I'm late to the party on them, but that's ok by me because it doesn't really seem like my kinda shindig. I'd love to be really positive on them, and they do have some moments, but really, they're more interesting as a concept than as a band. Basically, it's Punk Rock 101- a bunch of people start a band even though they're rank amateurs. The problem is that this was always a bit of a myth. Bands like the Clash and The Vibrators had members who'd been playing for years, and other bands, like Wire and the Buzzcocks were using amateurishness as a mythmaking venture, when really they were better than they let on. It was actually the rare punk band that couldn't actually play their instruments, and I can only think of one instance where it worked- the Germs, and even then, they were fast learners, and by the time they were really interesting, they were halfway decent musicians. Much like the nice abortion joke, it's something that seems like it should be possible, but really there aren't any really good bands that have no musicality. So, the Coathangers have moments, but really, they should woodshed a bit, and come back when they have a bit more accomplishment to go with the confidence.
Still,there is raw talent there, and if they did more like this, I'd say they really have something.

Proof that I don't just listen to old stuff with good vocals.

2011-05-10T20:22:00.000-07:00

So, enough nostalgia and reflection! I listen to a couple dozen records a week, and not all of them are old things that I've listened to before. Here's the new stuff I listened to this week:
These Branches- This one's on You. - Such a shame! this is a really good mod-ish punky power pop band ruined by a lousy singer. Now, as a fan of guys like Frankie NW Stubbs and Lemmy, I can take some unusual singing styles, but this guy just has no real tune to his voice. So if you can really tune out vocals, this is a pretty good record, but that voice.....
Ruptures- Adormidera. Super angular hardcore-influenced chaos metal. Like Blood Brothers meets Botch to play 1st album Refused songs. No, the vocals aren't spectacular, but the post-everything thrash makes up for it. Then, just when you think you have a handle on this breed of aggression, they play a melodic interlude like "Soma", and you're confused by it. I think the edge they're going for is "constantly unsettled". It's more than the sum of the parts. It's good- but only if you can stand the mathy chaos.
Damascus- Salutations, Distant Satellite! Really good post rock. I know, I know- post rock is pretentious jazz fusion for jerks who couldn't actually generate enough swing to play jazz fusion. This is like the more linear, yet still proggy bits of bands like Mars Volta, but subtracting the vocals. I can appreciate it- it's decent listening, that gets the mix of volume and gentleness to do instrumental rock.
Old Growth- out of the sand and into the streets. Really garage rock. No, I don't mean that they play stuff that's stylistically "garage"- I mean they sound authentically like they a bunch of dudes rocking out in their garage, trying to do a bargain basement version of "rawk'. I haven't checked, but I bet they love grunge bands, and I bet not a one of them is over 25. Add 10 years, and 100,000 bucks and they'd be Nickelback, and would add to the "suck" quota in the world, but as it stands, I bet they have a core following of friends who are blown away by their genius. If I could offer them any advice it would be to stay in the garage. Don't progress- keep it as raw as this, and you'll eventually turn into Crazy Horse, and that's infinitely better than Nickelback.
Also, not exactly a new thing, but getting newer- check out the Bloody Beetroots website. I could really join the Church of Noise.

Lady Gaga

2011-05-07T20:12:00.001-07:00

Ok, I just finished watching her "Monster's Ball" HBO special. I went in not a fan, and afterwards, I'm even less of a fan. Ye gads. I don't want to use this space to crap on people and their taste, but that was truly awful. I got more enjoyment out of what else I was doing- sorting laundry and playing with my cats. I've said that Lady Gaga was just Madonna meets Marilyn Manson, but I wasn't quite right. Add in a liberal dose of Bette Midler and a hefty dose of November Rain Guns N Roses, and you get a better idea of the wretchedness. I actually like Madonna, so I think I'm going to have to come up with some new comparisons, here. It was like watching some Bible Camp wannabe try to play at being a rock star. If I had a daughter, and she liked Lady Gaga, I think I'd bring her in for therapy. That might sound like a joke, but I'm serious- I'd be hoping that the doc would find some hearing damage or something.
I truly cannot understand how anyone can enjoy this soulless, gutless, humorless garbage. I watched this because I've got friends who like her, and have been telling me to give her a chance. Much like Glee, Nickelback, and Joan Rivers, I feel like watching that actually took something away from me, and made me less of a human being. So, she could do a complete 180, and release something utterly genius but it's too late- I won't give her any more chances. What utter shite.....

Ancient History

2011-05-06T21:48:00.000-07:00

Sudden moment of Nostalgia; please forgive.
I was just thinking about the turning point to make me really like music.
My father, amoungst other things, is a bit of a musician,and my Mother, typical of preacher's wives, knew church choirs like other mothers know soap operas. So, I had exposure, but wasn't truly interested in music until much later. I was never really fond of rock and roll, in the seventies. Oh, sure, I got into Kiss, but that was much more a fashion thing than anything else; I thought they looked cool, more than I liked the music. Actually, I still cannot think of a Kiss song I really like. I much preferred Parliament/Funkadelic, and the O'Jays and Curtis Mayfield. I got into David Bowie because of the Young Americans Album, moreso than Ziggy Stardust. Around 1978-1979 that started to change as I started to hear what I called then "New Wave" music. Oh, like most kids, I got it wrong, at first- figuring bands like Australia's Angels, and Chicago's Cheap Trick to be real New Wave. But, then, in 1979 I heard what would become my first favorite record, and the gateway drug to the musical addiction I have now: The Clash. No, I didn't get into The Ramones or the Sex Pistols, like everybody else. The Clash was the big one for me. Of course, I went back and forth- I was still just a kid. So, I'd be listening to The Gap band with one set of friends, then, listen to Blondie with another. In late 1980, I finally got really turned on to what I liked, but didn't know it, yet: Punk Rock. I got invited to a punk Rock show, and found my tribe. Oh sure, I was never really accepted, and remain a poseur, even now, 30 years later; but the shows at the Vex, and the Fleetwood, and Fender's ballroom and Safari Sam's- that was the real connection. I knew from that what I liked, and who I wanted to be. Records were just a maintenance- a way of keeping that connection to those shows. Eventually, I could get into records on their own, but the real hook for me- the thing that the Clash had, was that electrical connection of real people, right there, making music out of thin air, right in front of your eyes. That's why I never got into Rock and Roll prior to Punk Rock- it all sounded like some Television show, assembled by many hands into some kind of production. Going to a Punk Rock show you could see it, feel it, hear it, and connect with it. I still liked Dance/Disco/RnB- and still do, but it's a totally different thing- it's a soundtrack, a foundation for the action on the dance floor, or the gym. It's not like the connection I still feel from raw, direct rock- whether you call that rock "punk" or "new wave" or "Stoner" or "Alternative".
It's all ancient history, now. I'm a middle class guy, settling into middle age. I'm a father of a college kid, for crying out loud. But every once in awhile, I remember that raw spark of my teenage entry into being the beat fanatic that I still most obviously am.

The Haul

2011-05-04T19:14:00.000-07:00

OK, so of course to me, the most important part of my recent birthday was the love and time with friends and family. However, that does squat for anybody who might read this. You want to hear about the presents, right?
So, here's a partial list of the haul. More to come, but here's where we are at:
Books- I'm in the Band by Sean Yseult, Destroy all movies by Carlson Connolly, Husker Du the story of the Noise Pop Pioneers Who Launched Modern Rock by Andrew Earles,Waldo's Hawaiian Holiday by alex Cox, a left handed notebook, and George Nicholas and Wilhelm by Miranda Carter.
Clothes- A grey Hoodie from H&M, as well as a striped grey shirt from H&M, and a Clash T shirt from H&M. Also, a pair of Skull and Crossbone socks, A Parliament/Funkadelic Dope Dog T shirt, and a purple striped Tie.
DVDS- The complete Prisoner TV series set, TNA's Knocked Out DVD, and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.
CDs- The Singles collection by the Chemical Brothers
Other miscellany- a $25 Itunes card, some Bumble and bumble hair thickening agent, and a really excellent Brazilian meal at Chima.

Like I said, there will be more. But there you go. I like all of it, and love everyone who gave me the haul

Happy Birthday

2011-04-30T20:43:00.000-07:00

Yup, May 1 is my birfday. Just a little self-indulgent thought for the day, to do with Pop culture:
I'm grateful for all the strange little coincidences, minor twists of fate, random happenstances, and bizarre sequences that have led to the tastes I have. Much like everyone else on the planet, I am convinced I have much better taste than anyone else. Beyond that, I am grateful to have seen what I have seen, heard what I heard, and felt the things I've felt. For my birthday, I'm intended to do some Scandinavian shopping, some Brazilian eating, watch a french movie, and have a dutch beer. Let's see how it pans out, eh?

X Ray Spex

2011-04-27T19:47:00.000-07:00

Poly Styrene. Passed on. It's too bad. Not much more needs be said.

Hmmmmm

2011-04-26T22:20:00.000-07:00

I might be converting to a Mac person. I've had it with IE. Currently trying out Safari. It's working, quickly, and efficiently. Has all of the "new" functions of IE9- but none of the glitches, so far. If I can do effective word processing and media playback on a mac- which I suspect I can, I might just be sold......

Clapton is God

2011-04-21T21:28:00.000-07:00

Actually, I'm not all that big a fan of Clapton. I just bring up the trope because Jonathan on his Metal Only, No Rubbish blog brought up that concept of Rock as religion thing. In a way, I'd agree that there is a spiritual component to my devotion to the form; however, I've said before that I'm not here to discuss my religious beliefs, and I'm still not. I don't look to rocknroll for guidance, exactly. However, in a more ideal world, the priesthood would be more like the Alt-Rock nation I grew up in- not a world of Rockstars like Bishops, proclaiming doctrine from on high- more a commune where everyone can say grace, and together we fumbled towards the light. I mean, we all can read, and all the religions have holy books, so why can't religion be more like a book of the month club, and less like freshman literature, with the too-old-to-still-be-teaching professor telling us his interpretation, and expecting us to regurgitate his opinions on the next pop quiz.
I'm not interested in a hierarchy of Angels, but I do like listening to the Choir.
I mean, do you really think that if Shaun Ryder was your preacher, you'd understand God any better than you do, now?

Soundtrack Meme

2011-04-18T17:56:00.001-07:00

Thanks to Jonathan, who posted this meme on Metal Only, No Rubbish:

IF YOUR LIFE WAS A MOVIE, WHAT WOULD THE SOUNDTRACK BE?

1. Open your library (iTunes, Winamp, Media Player, iPod, etc)
2. Put it on shuffle
3. Press play
4. For every scene, type the song that's playing
5. When you go to a new scene, press the next button
6. Don't lie and try to pretend you're cool - first songs only

Opening Credits
Waking Up
First Day of School
Falling in Love
Fight Song
Breaking Up
Prom
Life is Good
Mental Breakdown
Driving
Flashback
Getting Back Together
Wedding
Paying the Dues
The Night Before the War
Moment of Triumph
Death Scene
Funeral Song
End Credits

So for me it's:

Opening Credits: Pale Green Stars- Everclear
Waking Up: Time Tough- Toots& the maytals
First Day of School: Jackson- Johnny Cash
Falling in Love: Fly with the High-Curve
Fight Song: Superbeast-Rob Zombie
Breaking Up: The Beautiful Dead- Killing Joke
Prom: Nice Guy Eddie- Sleeper
Life is Good: Sabotage-Beastie Boys
Mental Breakdown: 15 Minutes-Wired all Wrong
Driving: Hanging on the Telephone- Blondie
Flashback: Wired- Steve Wynn & the Miracle 3
Getting Back Together: Heartbeat-Big Black
Wedding: Testament-Disfear
Paying the Dues: Not Your Fault- Thin White Rope
The Night Before the War: If I go to Hell- Sage Francis
Moment of Triumph: What do I get- Buzzcocks
Death Scene: Why is it always this Way- The Ramones
Funeral Song: Bowl of Flies- Leatherface
End Credits: Four Horsemen-The Clash

I kinda like it. It gets a bit cheesy on some bits, and can only be seen as ironic in others, but it's not bad. I might watch a movie with Disfear as the wedding march....

Dance, Dance, Dance!

2011-04-12T20:56:00.000-07:00

ok, I know that I focus pretty heavily on hard rock of the "alt" variety. I suppose that does make up a goodly percentage of my listening habits. But, I hope I've been clear that I do listen to other stuff, as well. Specifically, in this case- Disco, or if you prefer- Dance music. I'm fine with calling it disco, though, because that's what I think of it. Heck, there was a time (specifically 1992) when I did some gigs as a DJ at raves. I was more into House, Acid House and a little Techno than anything else as a DJ- but I did fit in some grind right in the middle of a disco track. (Ask anyone who saw/heard my non-legendary "Walls of Jericho" mix- it was based around a sample from Ministry, but featured everything from small blips of Gary Numan- My Centurion, to some extended bits of Sly & the Family Stone- a sped up sample of the main bass riff for "if you want me to stay") Further, I'd argue that Disco has advanced pop music more than most rock music in the past 25 years.
But, I'll save that argument for another time. I'm here to revise a few things.
See, in the last post I mentioned Oh Land as somewhat Bjorkish- and I was wrong. It's more caberet-styled traditional music meets disco, than the wild avante gardisms of Bjork. However, Bjork has been known to do that same experiment- a mix of show tunes and hard electronica, so I wasn't entirely wrong- just mostly wrong. Still, I prefer it to most of the "indie girl Trad pop" stylings you hear like Sara Bareilles. I find most of that stuff to be cloying and annoying, and Oh land is more Kitsch than Cloying, and more obnoxious than annoying. Still not great, just good.
Much better disco is coming from the same old sources. With all the other old 80's bands releasing new records, did you know that Shriekback had a new-ish one out? Yes, they put out "Life in the Loading Bay" back in December. I think it's worth your time, and here's my reasoning: Remember Michael Mann? Did that iconic TV series "Miami Vice"? Well, outside of that he's responsible for some ultra-gritty modern Noire movies like Thief, Manhunter and Heat. Well, he was a major league Shriekback fan, and used their music several times in his movies. That means the downbeat, burbling kinda greasy dance jazz that people use as a cliche for Crime scenes in movies? Yes, Shriekback invented and perfected that. No less a figure than Leonard Cohen has bitten off chunks of the Shriekback sound ( If you tell me that the Whole "Future" album owes nothing to Shriekback's "Oil and Gold" I will call you a liar). It's still a very relevant sound, as 99% of what gets called "Trip Hop" is just a slightly more linear version of the Shriekback sound. So, I think it's a big miss to skip them. Here's what I suggest: put on a sophisticated outfit. Mess it up, a bit. Go to a formerly glorious bar at three in the afternoon, order some kind of hard alcohol. Drink it quick, but stay in the bar at least an hour, watching people. Then, listen to Shriekback on your way back home. If you're not in your own personal Noire by the time you get there, you did something wrong. Whether you listen to Rock, Jazz or disco, don't you listen to music to feel something? That's why Shriekback. ( oh, and do check the link for Shriekback. they have some excellent blog posts, one of which is the whole reason for this post)

On the other hand

2011-04-10T06:37:00.000-07:00

Much as I love the new Pandoras.box, and I do- I had to drive to the motor vehicle administration yesterday, and Monomeet was the ideal soundtrack for driving a country road in Maryland on a grey early spring day, I listen to a lot of music, and so I have listened to other music in the past week or so, but much of it will unjustifiably get the short end of my attention span because there's been so much good music in the past three or four weeks. So, if these come across as negative, it's only in comparison to stuff as great as Pandoras.Box....
Young Widows-In and out of Youth and lightness. It's decent post-metal. It's not as great as Pelican, or Isis, but still for stuff that's more sophisticated than Sludge, but not exactly "Metal"- yet still holds the Doomy-ambience of pound and crawl, it's decent. Strangely, it reminds me of Cop Shoot Cop, a bit...
Royal Bangs- We Breed Champions. Pop Math? A hybrid of Radiohead and Blink 182? I'm not quite certain. It's noisy indie rock with some odd bloops on keyboards. Yeah, I'm behind on them, but what do you want? I'm not hip.
Amateur Party-Truncheons in the Manor. My first impression? A very Garage rock version of the Kaiser Chiefs. Which isn't a bad thing. The Kaiser Chiefs are a good band to see live- the records are disposable. Likewise, this band, if they can bring the energy to the show seems like it'd be a fun show. I wonder if they'd tour with Capsula? That seems like it'd be exhausting, but worth it.
Lotus Feed- A Savage Breath within our Lives. Wow, these guys really LOVE the 80's. I mean REALLY. It's like Shriekback meets the Call to play a gig with Wire Train. Decent in a black eyeliner and costumes of ambiguous gender kind of way. I also get the feeling like English is a second language for these guys. A kind of Eastern European vibe, makes me think they play gigs in Poland and Austria....
The Lazy Cowgirls- Somewhere down the Line. And now for something completely different... I've been a fan of the Lazy Cowgirls since the late 1980's. They played a garagey form of Cowpunk, like a mix of the Ramones, early 1970's Rolling Stones and Waylon Jennings. By the early 1990's there was a pretty awesome "party Rock" scene going in Los Angeles; These guys and the Cadillac Tramps and Social Distortion, and the Hangmen, and a bunch of others. So, it's still nice every once in awhile to blast one of their records, and drive fast down a sunny Highway.
The Wails- EP. What's going on in Texas? Another great Shoegazer kind of band. A bit more Lush than Ride, a bit more Chapterhouse than My Bloody Valentine- but still really nice, pretty stuff.
Warm Widow- Widower. Sorry. I've already heard Chrome/Six Finger Satellite/Brainiac styled trebley Art damage punk. This just doesn't do much for me.
The Boxer Rebellion- The Cold Still. Ummm, it's better than Coldplay and Keane? Not really my deal.
Oh Land- Oh Land. Really Bjork-ish at times, as absurd as that might sound. What I mean is that it's pretty, sophisticated and avante Garde Dance pop. I might get into it sometime later, so I'll hang on to it.
White Lies- Ritual. Hmmm. It's very indebted to both the "coldwave" set, and Interpol, and Joy Division. It's good, but very... Naive? Raw? I'm not sure what the word is- the production is well done, and the musicianship is good, but there's something a bit juvenile about the songwriting, and the execution- not in a playful sense, far from it, but in a sophomoric, way too self-serious way. I think that given two more records they should be really excellent....

Pandoras.Box- Monomeet

2011-04-06T15:53:00.000-07:00

If you've been reading my blog posts for over a year, you might recall my love for Pandoras.box. If not, ok here's a quick breakdown on what they do: amazing,atmospheric, adventurous experimental rock- sometimes they get called "post rock" but I wouldn't quite lump them in with the brilliant Scots ( Mogwai, Aerogramme, etc). Instead, I'd put them in with modern European progressive bands, like Radiohead, Kashmir, Silence is Sexy, Mew, Kasabian, dEUS, and Ghinzu ( and if you don't know those- start researching, immediately- you're only cheating yourself)
However, moreso than even Radiohead or Silence is Sexy, Pandoras.box play it very close to the vest what they're doing, or even who they are. So, the music must just be experienced to get a handle on it. You'll hear everything from nearly Stoner rock guitar freakouts to techno beats, to pure atmospheric washes of synthesized sounds. I know a lot of people want to compare such modern music to Pink Floyd, but if you must compare it to stuff from the 1970's, this is more germanic, more krautrock, more sharp than hazy drug references- the closest I could get to mainstream would be Steely Dan.
So, I must have lost track on them a bit because the second release is available as a digital download, now. Really stellar stuff, here. I highly suggest you follow the links and listen to some for yourself. As soon as I put on the new downloads I just got, they're once again one of my favorite bands. Best new tracks? I think "State of Rust" and "A nervous Smile" are the most immediate, but any of the songs are sweet and salty and light and dark- you can't really judge by just one movement what the dance is like, you know?
I think it's such a shame that this new album won't take the charts by storm. You'll note I've not done a review of the new Radiohead, nor the new Elbow, but as soon as I'd listened to Monomeet, I started posting- as that would suggest- I think this blows them away. You might disagree, and fair enough, but still give them a try, and see if it doesn't sink in deep and hook you.

Another New band with a name that is a sentence because just don't you love awkward, over-long titles

2011-04-04T14:49:00.000-07:00

Because I'd heard the first record, and thought that it was a bit too tonally "challenging" (Read the guitar tone was so shrill it was like slowly poking your eardrums with screwdriver) I never gave another thought to "Brooklyn's Loudest band"- A Place to Bury Strangers. However, when they came up because I was professing my taste for the new Ringo Deathstarr long player, I grudgingly watched a youtube clip or two, and found the songs from the newer release much better. So, please understand I really would suggest avoiding the first record, but the second may be worth a few minutes of your time. The sound is a mostly loud shoegazer variation- along the lines of Ride or Jesus and Mary Chain, but with a martial metronomic drums sound, a la Interpol, or Joy Division. The end result seems like a prime example of what might be called second generation American Coldwave- akin to what Blacklist, Workers or Veil Veil Vanish are doing. They're not as good as Workers, but better than Blacklist. Picture a noisier variation on what Interpol is doing, and you're not far off. Just, whatever you do- avoid watching interviews with the band, as a more annoying bunch of Williamsburg hipsters would be hard to imagine. Download Exploding head to your itunes, eliminate 3 or 4 of the more meandering numbers, and you've got a decent EP...

Ringo DeathStarr

2011-04-04T14:42:00.000-07:00

OK, now that I've had a chance to listen to the new Ringo Deathstarr a couple of times, let me talk about why I'm excited over it:
Have you ever noticed how people at a certain age calcify a bit? For example, the basketball fan, who still lionizes the team and players he liked when he was 20? A much closer example- Classic rock radio for baby boomers. Listening to nothing made past 1980, for 20 years, because "today's music ain't got the same soul" is exactly the kind of calcification I mean. Of course I suffer from that a bit. For me, it's the alternative Rock just barely pre-grunge. In some ways, my aesthetics stopped in 1990. Fortunately, it's not total for me, and I have enjoyed music that would not even be possible in 1991. Some of that even has aesthetics that run counter to the music I liked in 1988. For example, I don't think you'll find much ground between Sleigh Bells-styled noise pop and Killing Joke. However, I have just enough sediment hardening in the old taste buds that I do think that we're seeing the waning years of rock aesthetics. I just don't see a whole lot radically new and different coming down from that particular pike.
So, enough mixing metaphors- the situation is that Ringo Deathstarr have a reputation for sounding exactly like My Bloody Valentine, circa Loveless. If they did, I would still like them- I can think of few things that I would like to do more than mastering such a sublime sound. However, the truth seems a little bit off from that. Yes, there is a very lot of MBV in their sound- but it's tempered with the punk rush of Jesus and Mary chain. There's some buzzsaw underneath the woozy oceans of processed guitars. There are others who get just as close to the "Loveless' sound- Asobi Seksu, and Blonde Redhead spring to mind. But all of the others seem to concentrate more on the shimmery wallow of the feedback, and less on that incredible right hand tremolo of Kevin Shields. The real similarity between Ringo Deathstarr and say, Asobi Seksu, lies in the breathy little girl vocals buried under echoes that owe a lot to Bilinda Butcher. However, if we look past that, Ringo Deathstarr is a very different band, indeed.
So, yes, there is a lot of My Bloody Valentine on this record. Again, I'm good with that. However, there's a fair amount of Jesus and Mary Chain, some New Order, and even a little bit of Boris in there as well. They play faster, and with more aggression than most of those influences, though. So, is it nostalgic? More than a bit. However, given the prevalence of at least a Shoegazer influence in bands from Silversun Pickups to Best Coast to Isis, I'd say that the nostalgia quotient is arguable. It would appear to be quite contemporary, as well- Ringo Deathstarr are thus much more "purists' than 'revivalists". Yes, that sounds somewhat perverse, given the band's careless attitude- but here's what I mean- rather than being a shoegaze influenced band, or a "nugaze' band, they are trying to be as purely about the shoegaze sound as were the original bands. When I think of a 'revival" - it's about trying to bring something back- about carrying something forward into the present tense. When i think of a "purist" is about trying to isolate and preserve something- about keeping it out of the present tense. In either sense, it's a kind of time travel wish- the revivalist wants to bring the past back around, while the purist wants to stop time.
All that is probably getting far too esoteric- here's the hard and fast Aristotelian reality- Ringo Deathstarr play loud, lush, uptempo heavily distorted post punk with digital effects. I rather like that sound whether we're talking 1987, 1997, 2007 or probably 2017. So, despite the fact that this may reflect something about my age and character, I'm just as excited as I was in 1991....

New Ringo Deathstarr

2011-03-29T21:15:00.000-07:00

Ok, so if this isn't a sign of being a fan, I don't know what is- I'm posting this before I even have downloaded it- I'm currently refreshing my Itunes, but will download the new Ringo Deathstarr "Colour trip" as soon as I can. Ringo Deathstarr are some loud, and somewhat Punky shoegazers from Texas. I really enjoyed everything from them so far, so I'm expecting good things from what's being called their "debut record"- I'd consider their rather long EP from 2007 to be at least a mini LP. But, yes, I'm excited.

This is hilarious

2011-03-27T21:45:00.000-07:00

The good people of Chunklet magazine posted this Video, and offered that the best joke wins. I think that's entirely redundant. The video is the joke.

Thrashcapades

2011-03-27T14:19:00.000-07:00

I started out being into Hardcore thrash, and I still like that stuff. Very athletic, adrenalized music. So, I just made a mix CD for my car, made up of some relatively new thrash. In the spirit of thrash, here's a rundown of the bands on that mix. Obviously, none of this stuff is stellar, and none is terrible.
First up- the AC4. Dennis from the Refused clearly missed out that he wasn't in 7 seconds. Straight up hero worship. Then, Fresh Coats- A Train Wreck named Desire. More punk than thrash. Think of a more pop-punk version of Leatherface, mixed with some non-ska Rancid, and you're not far off. After that Shards. The most straightforward thrash on here. They could easily be a "middle of the bill" band at Fender's ballroom, circa 1984. Straight Los Angeles mid 80's thrash. Finally, Wolves & Thieves-11. Much more modern Thrash. Like the Bronx or Gallows, it's a mix of various Rocknroll influences, a hint of metal here, some Rockabilly there, some hardcore under it all. The end effect is like what you misremember after one of those 5 band hardcore matinees, where you can't remember who played what, you just remember that dude who took it hard when he got dropped in the pit, and how bad your nose hurts from connecting with this other guy's boot...

Geronimo!

2011-03-26T20:00:00.000-07:00

I just downloaded it, and haven't had a chance to fully appreciate it, but Geronimo has a a free release over at Bandcamp, that will only be free for a day or so more, so you might want to move on it. Geronimo! play a kind of Indie rock/Stoner - like Built to Spill meets Dinosaur Jr, with some mogwai-ish tendancies. Worth a few moments of your life.

More Tunes

2011-03-23T19:27:00.000-07:00

So, just some quick reviews, for stuff that I like, but aren’t quite as nice as stuff I’ve done bigger reviews on, in no particular order:
Autolux- Transit, Transit: Umm, have you heard Autolux? The last record was a kinda electro shoegazer type of record. Replace the gauzey distort-noise with more Sonic Youth-ish guitars in alternative tunings, and there you go, the new Autolux record. I like it, but only in a background Noise type way.
Colony-Colony: I’ll admit I don’t know much about the band, but I really like how it’s obvious that they’ll go wherever their muse goes. Parts sound neo-psychedelic, parts sound like experimental noise, parts sound like new Americana, like Wilco, and parts sound like Stoner/Sludge. Nothing is fully fleshed out, though, so it’s kinda like a jam/demo tape, but one you’ll enjoy.
Earwig- Gibson under Mountain: Damn fine power pop. Does it need to be more? Really, this is just that. You might hear some Americana here, some Punk there, but really, it’s power pop.
Nikoo-Friends and Family: I really, really like the Dutch music scene out of Utrecht. We’ve got former members of one of that scene’s better bands, The Very Sexuals, in this Noise-Pop band. So, of course I like it. How to describe it? Wow, tougher than I thought… Ummm… Uhhhh… it’s got some, uhhhh…. How’s this? It’s pop structure, with Exotica, Harmonium, shoegazer electronics, indie rock vocals, and Arcade Fire styled anthemic styled vocals. Like the Ruby Suns meet the Very Sexuals, meet the Comas, and they tweak the hell out of Arcade Fire, in the Raveonette’s studio…
Wye Oak- Civilian: A local pleasure. Hey, I like my friends, but I don’t know this couple, directly. I know their friends, though. Wye Oak, by now should be a known quality. In case they’re not, they play twisted atmospheric noise-folk, in the vein of Mazzy Star and Cowboy Junkies, but altogether modern.
There you go. Check them out.

At the Flicks

2011-03-20T06:21:00.000-07:00

So, I just don't watch all that many movies as of the last six months. Maybe I'm burned out, maybe my DVD collection is too large, maybe my other entertainment options are too solid, or maybe it's because most movies suck.
Here's the thing- I can name you all the feature length movies I've seen since Christmas. Machete, Get Him to the Greek, and The Book of Eli. Done, that's it. This, despite having Netflix, on Demand, HBO, Cinemax, a blockbuster kiosk within walking distance, and no less than 10 theatres within 50 miles. Of those, I liked Machete, but only because I'm a Rodriguez FANATIC, like, unreasonably so. Get Him to the Greek? I kinda liked Almost Famous, and it's basically the same story, only robbed of any warmth, and stripped of any likable characters. Jason Segal can write a funny song, but I honestly would have preferred 90 minutes of Segal with a piano, playing the same songs. The Book of Eli was filmed digital, like how Rodriguez films, but clumsy about it. Furthermore, the "Twist" felt cheap, and unnecessary. Denzel did his best, and Gary Oldman chewed scenery, but you could tell they both had two words flashing in their minds, the whole time- "Mad Max", and whispered underneath, like a call and response- "Was a better movie".
So, if Movies just plain suck, what do I want? Here's what- I want movies to tell recognizably human stories, but told in a way to show me things I could not otherwise see. What I mean is that I don't want stories that involve motives, and actions that humans just don't have, but I do want to see people I don't know, places I haven't seen, doing things I cannot do. A good example is that I really liked The Fighter. Everyone in the movie was recognisable as a human being- no clowns, robots or aliens. However, I'm not a talented boxer, I'm not a crack addict, and I'm not from Boston, so these are people I cannot be, doing things I either cannot or would not do. See? Pretty simple, really. So, Get Him to the Greek features non-humans. As in, the Aldous Snow character has no motivations I can recognize. He's a cartoon rock monster. The other characters are so formless that I bet you cannot name them without help, or resorting to the actor's names. Ask your friends who've seen it, I bet they run into the same sort of trouble. See what I mean? Non humans.
Meanwhile, The Book Of Eli barely even names the characters. Then, it never gives any of them a recognizable motivation. The Protagonist is doing things he doesn't understand on direction from an inner voice I believe we're to take as being from God, while the Antagonist wants power, but already has power, and has better, shorter and more sure routes to power than the convoluted reasons given for him to be an antagonist. Because of this I cannot care about the people, and therefore the story becomes absurd, and it's just random images. Go on and tell me that you don't feel roughly the same about most movies as of late.
So, no, no links, no raves, no I haven't been talking about movies, even though I am fully aware of them. (Please- The King's Speech? That's a movie? No, it's not- it's a fashion show for the over 50 set who worship the BBC. Likewise? The Social Network? Again, not a movie. It's a self-congratulatory smirk for the under 40 set. Don't bother me with updates....)
Yeah, I might talk about music too much, but I think I'm already saying too much about movies.