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...

Where's mah Bookit?

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

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

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

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

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...