A little Follow up

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

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

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

(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

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?

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

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

Are We Not Men?

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

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

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...