Relapse

There is more to life than Killing Joke, of course. There are bands who are influenced by Killing Joke.

So, yes, I got the new Ministry CD- Relapse. Here's the quick Backstory- Al is impossible to work with. I know it from first-hand experience. He's a psycho, and a drug fiend. He may or may not be clean, right now, but there you go- with or without drugs in his system, he's a psycho junkie. He's also a fairly intelligent musical visionary, with no edit button. That's incredibly valuable, and frustrating as well. Because you'll get rare moments of transcendence and power, majesty, and yes, beauty. You'll also get meaningless rants, and pointless torture for nothing. You also never know when he's lying, or honest, joking or serious. The really frustrating part is that none of this is a dichotomy all of it is part and parcel of the same thing. Well, it even takes a toll on the man himself. He nearly died from a bleeding/ruptured (take your pick) ulcer. I happen to know what that's like, and I know what causes it- abusing yourself in an extreme manner. Basically, you've got to ignore painful symptoms for years, and continue down what's clearly an unhealthy path. Pretty good metaphor for Al's life, and career, yeah?

But, what about the music? It's the thrashy electro metal we've come to expect. Al rants on top of it, in a heavily processed voice. If that sounds typical, that's because of how many people rip off Al's sound. Since Ministry now is Al, Mike Scaccia, Tommy Victor, Tony Campos, and guests, it's got a lot more guitar solos. But, fortunately, Victor brings his Prong-ish Killing Joke worship, and Campos is a more rooted (pun intentional) bass player, so it's less straight Thrash as the Bush trilogy was- there's some space between the blast beats, a lot less claustrophobia in the mix, and the result is a much more listenable release than Al has done in awhile. The fact that he's not afraid of some self-parody also opens it up a lot. You get less of a 'late night cable access psychotic rant" feel off it, a more (un)fair, and (un)balanced ride.

I actually like Al's spoken bits, because he's much more clearly playing a character, and it suits.

I know the purists, and the metal heads will not like it. It's not as "intense", but more fun. A couple of bits are almost dance-y. To use a Metal metaphor, it's more like Megadeth than Deicide, and that's a good thing.

Really, your best bet is to listen to each track, and download what works for you, unless you're crazy like me, then, you'll want the CD.

Killing Joke MMXII

I'm a gatherer. I am a fan of everything Killing Joke does. Maybe not unquestioningly so, maybe not equally a fan of everything, but I really do see the value in everything they do. Furthermore, I agree with the basic mindset the band espouses- we, in humanity, are on the brink. We might pull out of the death spiral we're in, we might not, but that might not be the most important thing. What might be the most important thing is that life continues. I believe in things seen and unseen. I have a spiritual side. I am half-godly and half beastly.

So,naturally I want to hear out the new record by Killing Joke. I know that the music will be awe-inspiring, because it always is. Musically, it's much more keyboard driven than the past few Killing Joke releases but retains the straightfoward guitar-riff based structure that Killing Joke has had since the Pandaemonium record. The harmonies are close, and modal- giving that "middle eastern" flair. The overall sound is perhaps less jagged, more of a midrange chug. Which means I really like it, but it's not the worldchanging tribal grind that I know Killing Joke can do. I think it's partially suffering from an odd choice in production- the mix brings up Jaz's "atmospheric" keyboards usually a bit higher than Geordie's guitar, and compresses the high end off the bass- meanwhile, Jaz is getting older, so I understand why they're adding a lot of extra processing to his voice- he always has a fair amount of echo, and doubles his vocals with pitches from the song- usually, again, those keyboards- but there's a lot more on this one. The problem with all this is that it gets more than a bit mushy. I'd really like to hear an unmastered mix, because the songs, themselves, are the Killing Joke I pay good money to import and I know that minus some of the production choices, the songs would be more what I expect.

The Lyrics are thought-provoking as always, and I know that while I'm open-minded, I'll disagree with about half of what Jaz believes. But, I have to get this out of the way- the Mayan Calendar stuff is completely laughable. It's an Apocalypse that deserves the Michael Bay styled CGI fest of a movie that it got. Seriously, the Y2K bug was more believable . However, Jaz, as always has his finger on a pulse- ably converting occult subjects such as Geomancy, The basic injustice of our Shock capitalism, Ecstatic trance states, Biotechnology, the Food Court, Solar Storms, and memorials into not only a coherent and compelling narrative, but sometimes into poetry. I cannot fully explain, but it boils down to this- you're either on the side of the Planet, or you're not, and it's surprising how many are not.

I cannot sum up the record, because I'm a gatherer. I treat Killing Joke records like they're Sacred. But I can describe the record a bit- it's less "Extremities" more "Brighter than a Thousand Suns", but of a piece with "Absolute Dissent". Play it very loud and decide for yourself, but know this- your favorite band probably likes Killing Joke almost as much as me, and there's a reason for that.

Sure to jack up my stats-hunger games

(And by Jack up, I mean both cause them to rise, and cause a big mess) So, I saw the Hunger Games. It was good. I don't have any desire to read the books, and I might watch the sequels or I might not. As product, wow! the production values were right up there. Also, it was great to see Asheville, NC. It's a good town, up there with Tucson, Portland, Flagstaff, and Sacramento. Not to mention, Jennifer Lawrence, Woody Harrelson, and Josh Hutcherson were really quite good.

The film was seamless, and the direction flowed seamlessly.

The story was a bit rote, and I could see where it was put together; for example, you never see Katniss ( our Heroine) get her hands bloody, so the kids watching will still identify with her. Likewise, I think there were enough vague symbols that you could interpret the theme in a variety of ways. The KOS has my favorite interpretation. And it's not exactly a ground-breaker. My favorite version of the Deadliest game, as filtered through our oversaturated media-fixated times would be Series 7: the Contenders ( Girls VS Boys on the soundtrack!)

But overall, it's a big damn improvement over the Twilight Franchise, so let's be thankful for that.

BLACK GOD

Just discovered this. It's Ryan from Coliseum, but more importantly, it's members of Black Cross.

Do you like hardcore punk rock? Why do you like it? I like it for three reasons- 1. the sheer power and energy 2. The formalism- Hardcore abides by strict rules, and it's interesting to me how creative people get within those strictures and structures. 3. The directness- within that hard, fast tightrope, there's no room for indulgences. Black God fully understands what I'm talking about. They even have explicit rules for what they do- no more than 2 minutes per song, and what not. They call it "Blitz Rock", and that's an excellent name for it- it's like The Bronx, but with the Minutemen's super tight sense of structure. It's definitely hardcore, but in the 1980's sense. It reminds me of those perfect hardcore bands, like Articles of Faith, Battalion of Saints, Poison Idea, MDC, 7 Seconds, Minor Threat, Conflict, and Bad Brains. And it's from Louisville. I think I need to move to Louisville...

Anyway, just absolutely awesome music, even if I'm too damn old to slam like I used to ( yes, that's "Slam" kiddos, not "mosh". Moshing is done by idiot heshers who want to be cool, slamming is what friendly punks with skinhead haircuts who surf and skate do, geddit?). I think I need to break something, stat....

Zia Records, Bookmans, Toxic Ranch & PDQ

If you're from Arizona, at least one of those names should be familiar. They're all interesting cases of hipster media stores.

Zia is now a sponsor for Coachella. So, they're doing OK. They sell used CDs, DVD's Games and books. Very much like a "Tower Records" kind of vibe, and defintely my least favorite. But, the business model is very much the traditional- sell the new stuff, and trade ins are like Used cars- inspected, and assigned value based upon condition and popularity.

Bookmans, likewise, seems to be doing well, as well. Very much a traditional used-Book store, with some vinyl, some toys, some games, and so forth. My favorite is the Used magazines- a good way of getting your pop-media fix cheaper. The key for them, though is sheer volume. Each of their stores are freakin' HUUGE. Also, they're very keyed-in to environmental concerns, which is a selling point for me. My favorite of their stores is the Bookmans at Grant in Tucson, where they have had electric car chargers since the 1980's.

Toxic Ranch/ Westworld is more a tale of survival. Bill originally had the store in pomona, California, where I first encountered what was called "Toxic Shock" back in the early 1980's. Then, Bill moved to Tucson, after forming a mail order, and a record label. I moved to Tucson very shortly thereafter, so I feel like he and the store are familiar to me. But, it's much more the boutique model, and I think they'd have gone under if not for online sales. They're still trying to make it on Niche markets, as opposed to what's locally popular, and that's a hard road to toe. I respect the effort more than I actually shop there.

Then, there's PDQ, in Tucson. They didn't survive. They were a great example of failing to adapt to the times. They were a massive mostly-vinyl Used and new record store very, very much in the traditional indie spirit- very 'High Fidelity", if you will. But, you see, they missed the basic lesson of running a business- adapt to your clientele, or die. You cannot make them come to you.

When talk about Indie stores, these are the default models in my mind. In the romantic part of my mind, I think of the PDQ style. If I think about the early 1990's style, I think of Zia. If we're talking what I think the model should be, we're talking about Bookmans, and if we're talking about what most people are trying to do, I think we're talking Toxic Ranch. Different models, sure, and I bet there are individual variants wherever you are, but I bet the models aren't so very different.

Re-iteration

So, in the past week or so, I was in Phoenix, Arizona. It's really not lovely- I far prefer Northern Arizona, these days, and have preferred Tucson, Arizona, but I was there for Family, so you have to go where Family is. But, that meant a trip to Zia's. Zia's is the last real holdout in this country that I am able to pinpoint. Sure, there are standalone record stores, like Amoeba, and so forth, but Zia's is the last independent chain of New/used CD store with the snooty clerks, and the dope-smokin' paraphernalia, tasteless posters, outdated cash registers and the rest of the jive you might remember from the late 1980's, early 1990's, So, did I get anything new? No! I got scads of stuff I already own, or have owned. So, just to re-iterate on some:

I got Quicksand-Slip. There was a time in the early 1990's when "emo" wasn't always a dirty word, and when Hardcore was dividing like cells in an embryo. Still one of my favorite times for music, if not my favorite. Sure, you had "alternative", and "Grunge", but in my mutant mental landscape, such things are but cells, in this new creation coming out of Punk/underground rock. From about 1985 to 1995 you had everything from Country/roots divisions to electronic/industrial divisions. In 1993, at the tail end of that fertile period, a former Gorilla Biscuit masterminded what I consider to be the Platonic ideal for this particular outcropping- the Emo/posthardcore division. Yes, that means I think Quicksand's "Slip" is better than Fugazi, Jawbox, and so on- Now, I think that Jawbox was a better band, overall, and had a few songs that eclipse everyone else, and Fugazi were definitely the spearhead of the genre, but song-for-song, sound-by-sound, note-by-note, I think this one is perfect. From the opening of "Fazer" to the last note of "Transparent" it's one of the few records I have that captures a moment, a feeling, a scene completely. And if you don't dig "Dine alone' I sincerely doubt that you'll dig any of this branch of my tastes. It's like the Cro mags playing a reggae version of a Jane's Addiction song- what could be better? One final note, though- listen carefully to the bass and guitar tone- I know of no one else who managed such a cutting, powerful midrange sound. If you really listen, it makes Heavy Metal sound toothless and mushy.

I also got dEUS- In a Bar, Under the Sea, from just a few years later. For some, it's their favorite period for dEUS. Me, I'm more into the MkII version of the later 2000's, but I don't hate this. It's very loose, funky Alt-rock, like a more Captain Beefheart version of the Red Hot Chili Peppers. But, even at that point, my favorite stuff was the Tom Barman pop songs. Overall, it's kinda like how I feel about the Flaming Lips. The early first version is good, and definitely hits the spot for the time and place, but the revamp is timeless, and spotless, and beautiful.

Then , I got Kasabian's 'Kasabian'. I'd never heard it before. I came in with the West Ryder LP, so, at the time this came out, I thought they were just a bunch of sub-Oasis yobbos. Wrong! This is clean, powerful Electro-charged british rock, of the danceable variety. Now, it's not anywhere near the Awesome-sauce that is Velocipraptor, but still, for that British dance rock thing, it's a nice continuation from the Madchester thing, from the late 1980's- a bit more Jesus Jones/PWEI than Stone Roses/Charlatans, but still of that same musical space. If you don't think I'm a massive fan of that sound, you need to google the title of this blog, and check out what you get.

Then, I also got British Sea Power's "Open Season". They've never been one of my favorites. They're ok, and I like to hear some of their tracks whilst driving long distances. They're like a very pop-influenced version of Shoegazing music. Again, it's good, but not great. I doubt if it'll offend your ear, but won't change your life, either. Ultimately, I think it's music for sad girls from small towns, waiting to go to university.

Newer still, but in a way, older- I got Kele's (Bloc party) solo record -The Boxer. I think I'm with Kele on the divide between he and his old(?) band. Yup, hard Electronics over increasingly nostalgic New Wave guitar rock. But, isn't that better "retro" if you remember the 80's?

Finally, I got my 4th copy of Wild Flag's LP. Yes, 4th copy. I bought one that I , unfortunately, thrashed. I got another on Mp3, that I still have. I gave away another copy to a friend, so now, I've got my 4th copy. Yes, it's that good. I'm happily married. However, I would be in love with Carrie Brownstein, if I could be. She plays a mean guitar, in her own style, she sings like Joey Ramone meets Sue Tissue, she's smart, she's funny, and she's stylish. In other words, it's probably for the best that I'm happily married, and that she's bisexual, and involved, because she's way too good for me, and I'd probably end up being some kind of creepy stalker guy. Anyway, my wife really is smart, funny, stylish and happy with me, to boot, so I win, but still, yup, Carrie's one of my ideal women. That aside, this is still the hottest album of party rock I've heard in awhile. If you don't have it, yet, seriously- go and get it, now.

Harry Crews

So, I just found out today that the old guy is dead. While too bad for us, I guess he'd suffered enough. If you don't know who Harry Crews is, read one of his books, and get back to me. I thought he was one of America's finest authors, and the world would be a better place if they taught kids to read his stuff as a requisite to graduate....

Ceremony- Zoo

You know how metal got split up into 4.8 billion micro-sub-genres? To the point that none of it was trackable, nor informative? Same thing happened to Punk rock, 10 years earlier. It became This-core, and that-core. And it lasted longer- much, much longer. It's as good a reason as any for why I'm one of the very few adult males I know still obsessed with Punk Rock. I will give all these microgenres a shot, and I'll try to report back what I can, knowing full well that most of it will be crap.

Lately, however, in the past 3 years, I've been seeing the Punk Rock diaspora starting to congeal back into something recognizable, and now, there's a record that I think truly is with the best Punk Rock going, right now- yes, Ceremony, the former Powerviolence merchants have got something to compete with Coliseum and Off! I got "Zoo" and, as with all good Punk Rock, fell immediately in love. There are garage rock and shoegaze traces, along with the odd postpunk angularity, or metal flourishes, but the main thrust is that shot of adrenachrome right to the spine that is Punk. You know that almost prickly feeling of joyous overexcitement when the best song cranks up at the show, and you're about to dive into the Pit, screaming something unintelligible? Well, maybe that's just me... But, you're far more likely to have that experience listening to this record than you will listening to the Black Keys, even if you like the Black Keys. I don't like the Black Keys, except that Pat the drummer looks like the son I don't have- I've got a son, but he was from a prior marriage, and thus looks a bit like my ex wife. Pat looks like what would result from my real wife and I having a kid, so I gotta give the guy a little bit of love, but the music is unexciting boogie rock, like Black Oak Arkansas for guys in skinny jeans, and bad beards. Ceremony, on the other hand, like Coliseum, make burly, angry stomps that are infectious as teenage angst, and lasting as childhood trauma. The songs are bitter misanthropic tirades set to shout-along chorus monsters. Like weapons, there's something simultaneously attractive and repellent about them. As a bonus, this ain't no disco, this ain't no fashion parade- There's no mohawks, tartan bumflaps or attempts to be hip. This is exactly the kind of thing that drew me into Punk Rock long enough to get called a poseur. Get this record, and make it hip, and tell me if the world ain't a better place because of it.

Visual Arts

I don't talk a whole lot about Visual Arts on here, which would surprise my 21 year old self. Believe it or not, I used to be really well-versed in what was hip and current in the visual arts. I'm not so well versed these days. Oh, sure, I am aware enough that I know where the galleries are, but really, I'm not there anyway. Also, I'm not all that thrilled with what little I see. The last time I was excited by a new visual Artist would be back in the 1990's when you had the Lowbrow stuff, Tiki Art and Neo Rauch, and the New Leipzig school. Yeah, I bet you care....

But all that doesn't mean that I hold the visual arts as unimportant. I'm sure it's just ignorance on my part. So, I want to learn. I wonder if there's a good online class or something? Anybody got a Clue? Because I'm out of the loop on this one....

I'm not going

I'm not going to SxSW, this year. But, if I was to brave that massive tumour they call a new music festival, I think these would be the bands I'd see:

http://www.therapyquestionmark.co.uk/

http://screamingfemales.com/

http://www.facebook.com/ringodeathstarr

http://www.gobacktothezoo.nl/

http://www.capsula.org/

http://teamme.no/

http://www.somethingfiercemusic.com/

http://www.just-a-band.com/

http://www.mariannedissard.com/

I'm not saying they're all great- just interesting to me.