Neu Die Antwoord

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?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.