World Cup

In honor of the World Cup, here are some good Dutch and Spanish bands:

Netherlands:

Silence is Sexy (my favorites)

The Very Sexuals (indie pop)

Little things that Kill (Christian indie pop)

Polydrone (Math-y Metal)

Obsidian (METAL)

Beans (Ska-Punk)

The Gasoline Brothers (Americana)



Spain:

The Capaces ( and again. My favorite thrash as of late)

After Many Days (Multiculti Hip Hop Jazz Metal)

Icarus Crash (Alt-Rock)

Los Cuatrocientos Golpes (strange pop metal)

EchoVolt (Industrial pop)

Los Tiki Phantoms (Surf Rock)

Wormparade (Glammy electro pop)

As for the match- I couldn't be happier with the finalists....

Crime Story

I suppose it’s nothing unusual that I’m fascinated with some Crime stories. A lot of people are. Some like Italian mobster fiction, some like stories of serial killers, some like hard boiled detective stories, and some like clever deductions. I enjoy some of all of that. I must admit a certain preference for British gangster films, the books of Jim Thompson, and the true-crime stories of John Dillinger, Jacques Mesrine, and Charles Bronson, but these are preferences, not hard-and-fast rules. I still think that Good Fellas, Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer, Detour, and the Usual Suspects are all fine movies.
However, I just saw a very interesting take on crime stories in 2009’s Bronson. I suppose if you cannot be bothered to follow the links, a sentence might do the trick: Charles Bronson is the name taken by a notorious British thug who has been in prison for 34 years, 30 of those years in solitary confinement. What the movie attempts to do is let you inside Bronson’s mind for a few hours. It doesn’t propose to explain his actions, and therefore excuse them. He gives you his motivations, but it’s obvious that he’s lying to both himself and you. There’s a line in Sin City about a character being out of time; that he should have been a gladiator, or barbarian. This would be Charles Bronson. He is a man who finds comfort more in violence than in comraderie, and who is capable of art, and honor, but chooses brutality and solitude. A thousand years ago, he would have lived a much shorter life, but probably a more useful one. Still, there is wit, humour, and guile in the movie- this isn’t purely an endurance test. The movie has been compared to A Clockwork Orange, but I find a fundamental difference: Kubrick’s film, and Burgess’ book is a satire, and serves to ask “why?” while Bronson says “Why not?”. The character needs no motivation beyond impulse. That’s a frightening, almost nihilistic proposition. However, it’s the closest to the criminal reality I can imagine- Bronson presents crime as simply the man’s natural state. Mindless thuggery is simply a state of being. It’s not a larger statement. You and I are not capable of what Charles Bronson is best at doing. At the same time, Charlie Bronson could not do things we easy. I am reminded of a line Jacques Mesrine wrote, in one of his more self pitying poems- “Pourquoi vous attrister ? Pauvre chien me dites-vous ! En voilà une erreur... C'est un homme, Madame, Il est emprisonné.”
(translated: Why are you distressed? Poor dog, you say? That’s incorrect. That’s a man, madame, he is a prisoner) {Incidentally, the poem was made into a decent 80's metal song by Tru$T- Hear it here} I suspect that's the fascination for me- these are people; still recognizable as human, but so different to me as to be alien.

Spoke a bit too soon

Found three things today that are worth a little bit. I still don't think they're necessarily all that exciting, but I gotta admit I enjoyed 'em, and think they are worth a post:
1. Studebaker's Blacksmith- Nebula
The Good- They lock in some excellent stoner-hesher jams that are hypnotic enough to get the desired effect, but not so utterly retro that I'd just as soon be listening to a Blue Cheer record. They've got some kind of connection to the mighty Pandora's Box, so they must be good people. The recording is rough enough and deep enough that it sounds like Rocknroll, not fireworks.
The Drawbacks- Kerstin, the singer, has succumbed to European female hard rock singer disease. She's a bit too stiff and formal. I can hear a good voice in there, but she seems like she's trying to hit the note, not feel the music. Like I said- this is fairly endemic, and you can hear it in nearly every female vocalist in a hard rock band in Europe, so, if you're used to that, you might not mind. Me? I prefer the girls who sing just as raw and hard as the guys. Also, the lyrics aren't so great. Maybe if they were in German? Basically, I bet the band is much better live with a good crowd. If they really let loose, I could see them being as good as Hammerbox
2. Deterior- Primitive Circuitry
The Good- For a Sludge/doom/ambient one man metal band there are for-real hooks! I realize that goes against what sludge/doom bands are going for, but endless downtuned howling can get boring. So, unless it's infused with something, such music becomes wallpaper to me. Sure enough, on previous releases, Deterior was basically sonic wallpaper to me. But, I'm kinda retro on this- I'm more a Killing Joke/Head of David/Godflesh guy than a Thou/Eyehategod/Earth guy. Again, he's got some good friends- his myspace lists Crashworship, who are absolutely transcendent. You cannot front on someone with taste that good. So, this is sludge metal bordering on Stoner rock, like Kylesa and Baronness, so yes, I like it.
The drawback- Some of us have voices made for that throaty growl. Some, like me, do not. This guy? Does not. Every time he goes into "that voice" I cringe. It's distracting from the groove. Seriously he should leave the growling to guys like Randy from Lamb of God. Also, it gets a bit proggy with the time signatures, and riffs. Proggy is cool for other folks, but me? I prefer the straight machine motorik. I find a band like Swans or Godflesh far more heavy because the beat is unrelenting, even if it's a crawl.
3. Battle Flags- ColourEngine
The Good- Very nice, exotic flavored minimal electro pop. Picture if Owl City listened to the Ruby Suns. I like pop music, and a good summery hook makes my day, even if the cool, smart kids think it makes me dumb. This has that kind of a hook. I can hum along as I do my laundry. As far as pop music goes, this also hits enough artsy and glammy spots that is seems au courant and hip.
The drawback- it does get a little samey and derivative. If you have been listening to indie pop there's a good chance you'll have heard a hook or two somewhere else. I mean some of it goes all the way back to Tom Tom Club. You also might not like pop music, or the little exotic flourishes, but hey, I do. Also, this guy likes him some treble, and it can get on the shrill side a bit. There are a few notes sung or played that are icepick sharp, so crank the bass for better enjoyment.

Post 50

Fiddy posts? That's it? Well, I'm not trying for quantity, nor quality. I'm trying for honesty. When I've got something to say, I'll say it. Even if it's stupid, and when it's redundant.
The Big Takeover hit 30 years with the latest issue. This is a magazine that publishes every 6 months, and sometimes, that's not enough, and sometimes (like now) it's too often. I trust Jack Rabid and company- they're honestly trying to put out the highest quality music mag they can, I just think that time isn't on anyone's side. There are long stretches of time where there really isn't anything new that is worth a damn, and there are times when it's all good.
I don't want to be negative, but right now I'm not excited by anything new. I'm still digging the old. I've been listening to stuff on my Ipod, I've been watching DVDs I already own, and I have been reading books I have read before.
Speaking of all that- you can read my preferences in my profile- but as I get older each of those things that I love, I love for different reasons. For example, the poppy, thrashy punk rock that I still profess to love? I wouldn't even dream of getting into the pit, these days. Way back when, that was a good percentage of my reasons. Now, it's mostly because I appreciate the economy and obvious structure of the music- Thrash is to rock and roll as tents are to buildings. So, even without pressing forward, I'm still in motion.

Waiting to see what's next

I like them, but never thought of them as really being fodder for this blog, in anyway, but Barnaby Jones are promising a new direction, and I'm hopeful. What they have done as a band seems like a combination of two bands that I like: they were like a bit of a cross between Kid Dynamite and Dillinger Four. However, I have to say that both of those bands are better. Sorry, but it's how I see things. Barnaby Jones aren't "bad"- it's more that they had potential to be great. Here's hoping that what comes next is that great thing.

Incorrigible

Yes, I am incorrigible. Allow me to introduce you to the three newest (to me) artists on my Ipod. Yes, some of this may be old news, and no, none of it is "fresh", or "avante garde". It's the same stuff I always listen to, and I love it.
First, the most sophisticated stuff is from How to Destroy Angels. Basically, this is Trent Reznor's new band. I do not miss his voice whatsoever, having never been enamored with it. But, his wife has an excellent haunting little girl voice, like Hope Sandoval, and the music is much more concrete, and closer to a sound collage than a melody, and so I like it. I've always liked pretty voices with noise. But, let's face it, that's no more challenging than a Timbaland track. Still, I like the notion of "music" that cannot be notated.
Second, I've liked the Gallows, and Kid Dynamite, and the Bronx and other latter day thrash bands- mostly because I liked the former day Thrash bands. (Oh, and no, the so called "thrash metal" of the late 1980's means nothing, nada, zilch to me. I'm talking about speedy hardcore punk rock, based on the "three letter band" codex, and the straight edge beat). So, it's a bit sad to me that I was late to the party with The Steal. It's too bad they're gone, but really, download, or buy "Bright Grey" which is about as fine a thrash record as I can recall from the past ten years. It's not up to the glories of The Capaces, mind you, but they're on another level. If you had a buzz cut and skate shoes in 1986, you'll probably dig it, if only for nostalgia.
Third, I won't say much, because you've probably heard them already- I think they even have records in Target, but I have to admit I finally gave The National a fair shot, and they're decent. They're certainly breaking no ground that Wilco, or a host of canadian bands haven't already done (basically a mix of New Wave and Americana) but I hummed along to enough tunes that I finally downloaded some. Call it a reluctant thumb shakily pointing up.

Nostalgia, anyone?

I don't know why but I was thinking about the mid 1990's. More specifically, I was thinking about "never was" bands like The Nymphs Hammerbox Greta Basehead (arguably) Black Grape Still good stuff...

I-Rash

I married an Irish woman and, more than 10 years after my divorce I'm just about ready to forgive the irish people.
Yes, that's a joke. But, I think I need to make a distinction that's serious. I don't mind Irish people; People born in Ireland, people simply of Irish descent. I don't like, and never have liked what I'd call "I-rash" people. You know, the drunk at the bar who is claiming he's obnoxious because he's Irish, and plays house of pain on the jukebox before causing a scene by bashing into people as he "jyumps erown"? I-Rash. You know the girl who wants to tell you the secret pagan meaning behind every holiday , and how it's all a big conspiracy to put down the Wiccans, even though she doesn't speak the slightest amount of gaelic? I-Rash. You know the idiot redhead who plans about a month in advance for "St Paddy's Day", and has seen Riverdance about 12 times? I-Rash. All those Celtic knot tattoos? I-Rash. "Back to Eyre" travel packages? I-Rash. Green Effing Beer? I-capital- RASH. I have no love for all that I-Rash crap.
Why do I bring this up? I saw Denis Leary's Rescue me comedy show this past week, and my wife is off the see Riverdance, today. Incidentally, the best part about the comedy show? Adam freakin' Ferrara- the guy just killed. I say this as a huge Denis Leary Fan. Adam was by far the funniest thing all night. Go see him, next chance you can. Oh, and whatever else you do, support the Firefighters. That was half the reason I went.

As Lost Turns

So, they're hyping the heck out of the Lost Finale. I'm interested, but I think it went from being a really good TV show, to a mildly entertaining show, to a chore in relatively short order. I think a three season show minus a whole bunch of the claptrap would've been better, but hey, they're rich, so they must be right- right?
I bring it up because of this interview . Specifically, there's bit where Carlton Cuse says
We want people to have a chance to digest, discuss, debate and interpret the events of the finale. And we think there’s going to be plenty of things for people to discuss and debate, just like every year. We don’t want to be out there saying, no no no, you must think this or you must think that. We don’t want to sort of spoil the process, which is to let people process the finale and arrive at their own conclusions about it.
Then, Damon Lindelof says
The interpretive element of "Lost," the fact that you immediately need as soon as the episode is over to seek out a community of people to express your own thoughts about it, understand what they thought about it and form an opinion, that’s the bread and butter of the show. The more we talk about what our intention was, the more we take it away from the audience. And we have no interest in doing that ever.
Now, in theory, I can get behind that- the notion of Art being a process of communication between the Artist and the audience is a dear one to me. But, it seems to me they're using a kind of misinterpretation of that process of communication to justify and rationalize their artlessness. The interpretive element works if you're talking about non-narrative art. If it was some kind of visual tone poem, they might have something there. But, they're engaged in a pulpy form of genre-writing that's dependant upon narrative form. They're combining Science Fiction and mystery writing. That's it. It's the same combination that both "Twin Peaks" and "The X Files" employed. So, what kind of postmodern nonsense is it to say "Oh, we're leaving interpretation up to the audience"? Quite frankly, that's simply not so- they're just lacking the courage to answer the mysteries they tried to invoke, and now, they're dodging continuity and logic, and structural bullets by caveat, hoping that the audience will rationalize it for them. They didn't write Haiku's, here- they produced a genre show! Narrative Art depends upon the narrative-which is to say, upon the Artist knowing (Gno- look it up) what they're saying. In other words, they can say "oh, we've explained the numbers" by citing a scene or two where they are discussed, but that doesn't mean they've explained the narrative function of them-and therefore by not completing the function, they're copping out. This is why the (original) Prisoner is still a work of Art, and Lost is still just a TV show. Watch any of the first 16 episodes of the Prisoner, and it both serves as a poetic metaphor for a societal force, and a fully formed narrative story. The last, 17th episode is precisely a visual Tone Poem that abandons narrative function in order to achieve a truly meta- narrative about the show itself, and the process in creating it. That's high Art, and it left no questions hanging- Number 6 was a prisoner both of himself, and of his culture. The Village was a system of control, just as all cultures are system of control. Along the way, it was determined that neither absolute control, nor absolute autonomy was truly desirable, but that a bargain must be struck between the individual and society. Yes, all of this was demonstrated clearly. Faith and Reason both played into this equation, as did love and war. Meanwhile, Lost cannot even resolve whether Faith or Reason is even valid, it cannot decide whether the individual or society is important- it cannot answer any of the narrative questions it has posed, it simply exists as commercial entity. Which means, again, it's just a genre show, like a soap opera, or a situation Comedy. That means talk of the function of Lost being some kind of facilitator of interpretive creative communication between the audience, the Art and itself is just a pretentious cop out.
Now, I've got friends and family who think that Lost is the best TV show, ever. I'm not here to say they're wrong, exactly. I'm just here to say that it's not high art, and it's pretty deeply flawed on its own terms. Now, the argument can be made that all Art is flawed, and that the distinction between high and low art is a false one, and that since all art is therefore destined for failure, it's not a question of if the show succeeds, only if it entertains- and that's a valid point of view. I just don't buy it, myself. I think that the show jumped the proverbial shark somewhere in the 4th season, and went from a good show to a poor one. By now, I think the fans really could write a better show ( which is another possible subtext of what the shows own producers are saying, and, if so, what better evidence that they have failed at the narrative imperative is there?) and I hope somebody does. By far, the best elements of the show have not been of the show in a long time- between the Blogs, the ARG's and the fan-generated speculation some truly innovative storytelling has been constructed- but doesn't that derive more from people's dissatisfaction with the paltriness of the show's construction than from its design?

Dio's Dead

I wasn't a real fan, but some of my friends were. Too bad. Stomach cancer, that's a rough way to go. I know it wasn't painless, but I hope it was peaceful.