parodies by nacrowe
like ive said before, i am an ABSOLUTE SUCKER for MELODY. for me there is nothing better than listening to a song that is DIRECT, SIMPLE, HONEST and just slays with KILLER HOOKS.
such was absolutely the case when i came upon BEST COAST's debut CRAZY FOR YOU (MEXICAN SUMMER, 2010) more than a decade ago. every song on that album deserved to be a single, but i recall just being floored the first time listening to "BOYFRIEND" and "CRAZY FOR YOU," which both shared an UNBRIDLED OPTIMISM in its SOUND, PRESENTATION and LYRICS albeit with a twinge of heartbreak on the horizon. there is always that COMPLICATED understanding when things are going absolutely SPECTACULAR that the potential for a DEVASTATING loss is OMNIPRESENT like a SWORD OF DAMOCLES. that the rug might be slipped from right under you. with their debut, SINGER-SONGWRITER BETHANY CONSENTINO's lyrical muse was a BURGEONING relationship with NATHAN WILLIAMS of SAN DIEGO EXPERIMENTAL INDIE ROCK band WAVVES. all of that RISK, WORRY, CONFUSION, FAITH, APPROBATION, SELF-ASSURANCE and JOY that comes with finding a ROMANTIC PARTNER. for me at least CONSENTINO really laid all of that mixed-bag of EMOTIONS on the line with that record with those SUNNY SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA MELODIES in the same TRANSCENDENT tradition of the BEACH BOYS, THE MAMAS & THE PAPAS, LOVE, THE BYRDS, FLEETWOOD MAC and THE GO-GO's. the SECRET weapon of BEST COAST is undoubtedly the less PROMINENT and FORWARD-FACING of the duo, MULTI-INSTRUMENTALIST and RECORDING ENGINEER BOBB BRUNO. much like with any great pairing, each plays off of the relative STRENGTHS of the other. and with BRUNO there seems to be a PRETERNATURAL ability to find AURAL HOOKS in AUGMENTED waves of SOUND. his background was in much more EXPERIMENTAL and DISSONANT fair, but such a resume allows for some INTRIGUING SONIC DYNAMICS and UNCONVENTIONAL TONES to find their IDIOSYNCRATIC way into these more TRADITIONAL POP songs. for one, he usually plays a BARITONE GUITAR, which is usually associated more with METAL than ALT COUNTRY / SHOEGAZE / INDIE ROCK fair BEST COAST specialize in. for my part, i seek out videos online of BRUNO's regarding his RECORDING PROCESS and INFORMED opinions concerning GEAR, especially ODD, VINTAGE AMPLIFIERS and long-since DISCONTINUED GUITAR PEDALS. that stuff never gets old and its INTERESTING to hear how such seeps into the REMARKABLE SONIC TAPESTRY that is BEST COAST. embedded below is a recent DEER GOD RADIO episode on nonprofit internet radio station MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC that includes a playlist celebrating the INFECTIOUS LOS ANGELES-based INDIE POP duo BEST COAST. enjoy!
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photo & text by nacrowe
in the lead-up to the GLOBAL CULTURAL EXPLOSION that was BRITPOP in the mid 1990s, there were a few INFLUENTIAL preceding scenes that would later coalesce into that DIVERSE and POTENT MUSICAL MOVEMENT. among them were the CONCURRENT SHOEGAZE and ACID HOUSE scenes of the late 1980s, both of which introduced NOVEL RHYTHMS and SONIC TEXTURES to the more TRADITIONAL INDIE ROCK SOUND of yesteryear. post-SMITHS and pre-OASIS there was another INNOVATIVE and absolutely SEMINAL likewise MANCUNIAN band that very much bridged that point of connection in this much ESTEEMED lineage, THE STONE ROSES.
all the ELEMENTS were there. a CHARISMATIC SHAMAN-like singer/poet in IAN BROWN whose URBAN SWAGGER and INDELIBLE, LAID-BACK, MANSPREAD POSTURING presaged LIAM GALLAGHER and evoked the LYRICAL OSCAR WILDE-isms of MORRISSEY. a SINGULAR SOUND that very much incorporated the CYCLICAL RHYTHMS of the homespun MADCHESTER SOUND with a decidedly INTERIOR sense of SCALE and a tinge of PSYCHEDELIA that emotively and sonically marked the SHOEGAZE MOVEMENT. their eponymous debut THE STONE ROSES (RCA, 1989) very much split the TRADITIONALIST POP SENSIBILITIES and POETIC lyricism of THE SMITHS with the more EXPANSIVE SONIC AESTHETICS and NONSENSICAL, somewhat SURREALIST, LYRICAL LEANINGS of OASIS. key tracks include "I WANNA BE ADORED," "SHE BANGS THE DRUMS," "I AM THE RESURECTION," "WATERFALL," "FOOL'S GOLD" and "ELEPHANT STONE." unfortunately due to internal conflict, THE STONE ROSES IMPLODED and never reached their full POTENTIAL. in retrospect many see their potential career trajectory in that of the later OASIS, who even consciously mimicked their achievements in matters such as a holding a likewise MASSIVE outdoor concert at KNEBWORTH. for me the NEAREST CULTURAL ANALOGUE to THE STONE ROSES is the likewise LEGENDARY and massively INFLUENTIAL BAY AREA SKA PUNK band OPERATION IVY who likewise IMPLODED after one national stateside tour despite their UNMITIGATED CREATIVE BRILLIANCE. their example is one of never capitalizing on or living up to the POTENTIAL of their one single full-length, ENERGY (LOOKOUT, 1989). sure, other bands came along and evolved their SOUND, but it was a TRANSFORMED MOMENTUM that forever rendered them a footnote in someone else's narrative (i.e. RANCID. JAWBREAKER, GREEN DAY, DANCEHALL CRASHERS, SUBLIME and NO DOUBT). the debut THE STONE ROSES album is a SEMINAL release by a much BELOVED and REVERED band that pointed the way to the future, even if they did not live on as a unit to take advantage of their CULTURAL ANALOGUE and the decade of music and culture that thrived on it. most definitely worth checking out. photo manipulation & text by nacrowe
LEGENDARY SINGER OZZY OSBOURNE was in a good place back in 2011 when this IN-HOUSE retrospective documentary GOD BLESS OZZY OSBOURNE (NEXT ENTERTAINMENT, 2011) was released. at the time he was SOBER for nearly half a decade after years of ALCOHOL ABUSE that was pushing the limits of his FAMILY LIFE. and that hope that comes with RECOVERY is really what the film is about, placing it in the context of a LIFE'S NARRATIVE in which all his SUCCESS, PASSIONS, FEARS, ANTICS, OBSESSIONS, SELF-ABUSE was a COMPLICATED EXPRESSION of a SUFFERING individual with little regard for himself, and the toll such took on not one, but two sets of FAMILIES.
the story of OSBOURNE and by extension that of the FOUNDATIONAL METAL band BLACK SABBATH is practically COMMON musical history knowledge at this point. growing up dirt POOR in the ENGLISH WORKING-CLASS section of ASTON in the long-economically suffering MIDLANDS industrial outpost of BIRMINGHAM, the members of BLACK SABBATH found each other and their sound while attempting to escape the fate of their comrades whose DISMAL options included prison, the nearby factories or the army. however IMPROBABLE, somehow they wondered into FAME and NOTORIETY with an INNOVATIVE sound and unflinchingly RAW lyrical PERSPECTIVE that has yet to come out of FASHION in the more than half century since. DRUGS and ALCOHOL took over and effectively neutered the band, with them castigating and firing OSBOURNE eventually at the end, although they all admit they were just as worse for wear as he was. being reborn with a SOLO CAREER by finding his MANAGER, who later became his second wife, in SHARON ARDEN, and that of KINDRED musical spirit and MULTI-TALENTED MUSICIAN in RANDY RHOADS, lifted his CAREER and PUBLIC PERSONA to new limits. ROADS of course perished in a FREAK PLANE ACCIDENT and not too long later his MARRIAGE DISSOLVED with his first WIFE THELMA RILEY, the MOTHER of his first two CHILDREN. the IMMEDIATE LOSS of both his FAMILY and his FRIEND and SONGWRITING PARTNER was absolutely DEVASTATING and OSBOURNE could not handle such. ARDEN at some point later in the filming thinking about their own struggles in the 1980s with three SMALL CHILDREN in tow, mentions that for OSBOURNE the DRUGS, CASUAL SEX and LEGENDARY tales of UNHERALDED DEBAUCHERY was a shield to protect himself from REALITY. the REALITY being that he had a low-self esteem despite his success and that everything he cared about he lost eventually. in ARDEN and his SECOND FAMILY there is a theme that their mutual love and his eventual ability to love himself helped with their collective RECOVERY after years of TRAUMA and NEGLECT. in fact, it was OSBOURNE's son JACK becoming sober in his early 20s that set him on a track to pursue his RECOVERY. effectively the thought that his own YOUNG SON at such an earlier point in his development had the INTERNAL FORTITUDE and GUMPTION to take on REAL ACCOUNTABILITY and fight for SOBRIETY shamed OSBOURNE into following suit. and thank god he did. of course this was not a happy ending by any means. from 2012 to 2016 OSBOURNE admitted to having a fling with his hairdresser, a circumstance that nearly ended his marriage. in 2019 he was diagnosed with PARKINSON's DISEASE, only years after JACK was diagnosed with MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS in 2012. OSBOURNE very recently even learned of his second induction into the ROCK AND ROLL HALL OF FAME, the first as a MEMBER of BLACK SABBATH and this time as a SOLO ARTIST. lots of ups and downs, but the OSBOURNE clan carries on. there were quite a few NOTABLE interview participants in GOD BLESS OZZY OSBOURNE, including his surviving siblings and all five of his children from both marriages, every MEMBER of BLACK SABBATH in TONY IOMMI, GEEZER BUTLER and BILL WARD as well as former MEMBERS of his solo band in RUDY SARZO (QUIET RIOT) and ROBERT TRUJILLO (METALLICA, SUICIDAL TENDENCIES). similarly additional PROMINENT MUSICIANS interviewed include JOHN FRUSCIANTE (RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS), HENRY ROLLINS (BLACK FLAG), BRANDON BOYD (INCUBUS), TOMMY LEE (MOTLEY CRUE) and undoubtedly the most EXTRAORDINARY of them all, PAUL MCCARTNEY of THE BEATLES. if there is an epitaph for OSBOURNE, let this documentary be it as it contextualizes the ups and downs of his CAREER and battle with ADDICTION with that of his FAMILY LIFE. im sure he would want his PERSONAL NARRATIVE told in no other manner. photo & text by nacrowe
the GRAPHIC NOVEL BEZIMENA (FANTAGRAPHICS, 2018) by SERBIAN cartoonist NINA BUNJEVAC is a HARROWING quasi-PARABLE that deals with the FRAGMENTED MINDSET and WARPED SELF-DELUSIONS of a serial SEXUAL PREDATOR. with full page panels lovingly depicted with almost DRAFTSMAN-LIKE PRECISION in STARK black-and-white that almost seems more indebted to early PHOTOGRAPHY than subsequent COMIC BOOK visual traditions. it similarly relates a sort of CRISP REALISM and TANGIBLE AUTHENTICITY that effectively invites the reader to take in the situation as fact, regardless of the FANTASY gender-switching and inter-dimensional time-and-space traveling elements that bookend the NARRATIVE.
the crux of the STORY is manner in which the MAIN CHARACTER devolves from a SOCIALLY INEPT, SELF-INVOLVED child to the sort of VOYEURISTIC, MALIGNANT NARCISSIST that has lost all touch with REALITY and any sense of MORAL CLARITY. finding a SKETCHBOOK outside when peeking in on a FORMER CLASSMATE taking a bath, the main character sees SEXUALLY EXPLICIT DRAWINGS therein the showcase a series of events in which he has sex with her FRIEND and household MAID on separate nights. for him such a BOOK bypasses the realm of PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY or FREE WILL and goes straight to carrying out its DESCRIPTIONS word-for-word in REAL-LIFE. only later do we find out that his VICTIMS were NOT CONSENSUAL, but FEMALE CHILDREN he brutally MURDERED after SEXUALLY ASSAULTING them. the SKETCHBOOK nothing more than a child's RUDIMENTARY drawn DEPICTIONS of a trip to the zoo, where he worked. that SKETCHBOOK was the key to a SELF-PERPETUATED PERMISSION STRUCTURE that enabled him to move forward his DARK IMPULSES without risking PSYCHOLOGICAL DAMAGE to his INNERMOST sense of IDENTITY and MORAL CONSCIOUSNESS. BUNJEVAC explains in the afterward about her PERSONAL EXPERIENCE with the DISTRESSING TOPIC of SEXUAL ASSAULT, having gone through it twice back in SERBIA, including once with someone that was entrusted as a GUARDIAN. BEZIMENA is told from the PERSPECTIVE of the PERPETRATOR, but the DAMAGE is MUTUAL regarding the VICTIM. that lost sense of PERSONAL AGENCY and PHYSICAL AUTONOMY. or TRUST. perhaps the EXPERIENCE of seeing the situation from the other-side is a means of coming to terms with her LOSS. as lyrically written and beautifully depicted as this GRAPHIC NOVEL was conceived, such only made the TRAUMA inflicted that much TORTUOUS and DEPRAVED to consume as a reader. and maybe that was part of the point, that people who inflict this sort of HEINOUS MORAL OUTRAGE on others are by definition involved in a double con on both the VICTIM and themselves. hard to make sense of the truly DEPRAVED and IRRATIONAL. i found BEZIMENA to be a PROFOUND GRAPHIC NOVEL. definitely worth checking out but i advise that it does hold some ADULT CONTENT with GRAPHIC SEXUAL DEPICTIONS inside so probably should be not viewed by minors. up to parental discretion regarding that i suppose. photo manipulation & text by nacrowe
over the past week i practically binge watched all four seasons of the BRITISH period COMEDY series BLACK ADDER (BBC1, 1983-1989) starring ROWAN ATKINSON as well as a list of TOP-NOTCH CHARACTER ACTOS including everyone from TONY ROBINSON, HUGH LAURIE, STEPHEN FRY, MIRANDA RICHARDSON and IAN MCINNERNY. the BASIC conceit of the series is that each of the four seasons take place during a DIFFERENT era in BRITISH HISTORY with the "BLACK ADDER" and what are presumed to be his DESCENDANTS being the only RECURRING CHARACTERS, of sorts. the eras are roughly the FEUDAL MIDDLE AGES, the ELIZABETHAN ERA, the NAPOLEANIC ERA and WORLD WAR I.
with the exception of the first series, the BLACK ADDER FIGURE is an OVER-EDUCATED and intellectually CURIOUS SERVANT of the ROYAL MONARCHY / ARISTOCRACY who despite his NUMEROUS attempts and INGENIOUS plans is largely the VICTIM to the whims of HISTORY. in the first series he is the DIMWITTED and seemingly always PLOTTING spare heir of a FEUDAL king attempting to leverage his RANK and INFLUENCE to grasp at POWER. in totality, the series is a HUMOROUS lambasting of both the COURT CULTURE and FALSE PIETY surrounding AUTHORITY, as well as the coordinated system of SUPPLICANTS and SYCOPHANTS that enable such to flourish UNABATED. in the first three series the MONARCHY as an INSTITUTION is the OBVIOUS target of much of the IRE behind the HUMOR, but in the final season it is the BRITISH ARISTOCRACY and the COMMISSIONED OFFICER base that come from their RANKS that serve as the subject of some of the most BITING and AFFECTING critiques of the series. this supposedly ELEVATED class of URBANE INTELLECTUALS and WELL-TO-DOS were cut off from reality so thoroughly, as ADROITLY portrayed by FRY, that the PEDESTRIAN INSANITY of knowingly sending a SUBSERVIENT OFFICER to their NEEDLESS DEATH in trenches for was deemed an HONORABLE STATE OF AFFAIRS as it didnt challenge the STATUS QUO. this INNATE DOCILITY with regards to AUTHORITY and POWER and how such mercilessly intertwines with FORCED FEELINGS of NATIONAL IDENTITY comes off as distinctly BRITISH in nature. that one should feel honored to DIE for their CROWN and COUNTRY, however SENSELESS and WANTON the circumstances. it is that SPECIFIC relationship between the POWERFUL and the POWERLESS that makes each BLACK ADDER series such a COMPELLING viewing. none more so than the closing scene of the final season which is one of the most emotionally AFFECTING and HONEST televised moments i have ever witnessed with how it handled the HORRORS OF WAR. and the UTTER FINALITY of the closing of a long lineage of BLACK ADDERS for no CONCEIVABLE MILITARY ADVANTAGE. just BLIND CRUELTY and SAVAGE INHUMANITY at the hands of an UNCARING HIERARCHY concerned more with APPEARANCES than the ACTUAL lives of REAL PEOPLE. its all just so damning of BRITISH CULTURE and the supposed HUMANISTIC VALUES they attest to exhibiting as a VIRTUOUS BEACON to the rest of the world. COMPLETE BULLOCKS indeed. undoubtedly this is one of my FAVORITE television series ever. ESSENTIAL viewing no doubt. photo & text by nacrowe
society moves fast and and of the mainstays of my childhood that seemingly has evaporated from our NATIONAL COLLECTIVE CONSCIOUSNESS is the CULTURAL POWER of the TIE-IN MOVIE SOUNDTRACK. it kind of makes sense why, given that PROMINENT artists were financially incentivized to part with a PROMISING B-SIDE to uplift a CULTURAL ARTIFACT for an UNPROVEN PROPERTY. i mean, the OBVIOUS RISK is that the FILM might suck and now you are permanently associated with it. just makes you look like a PHONY SELL-OUT, or at least that was the MINDSET at the time. also over time these SOUNDTRACKS had little to no connection to the FILM at hand, instead they acted more as a side REVENUE STREAM than a SYNERGISTIC ART PIECE in and of itself. in the age of SINGLE DOWNLOAD SALES and DIGITAL STREAMS, the concept of a MOVIE SOUNDTRACK album is a TOTAL ANACHRONISM and a CULTURAL VEHICLE that has little VALUE.
or maybe not. one of my FAVORITE FILMS growing up was WAYNE'S WORLD (PARAMOUNT, 1992), based on the PROMINENT MIKE MYERS and DANA CARVEY fronted RECURRING SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE SKETCH which featured two ENTHUSIASTIC yet DIMWITTED HARD ROCK music fans hosting a UHF TELEVISION SHOW from a suburban ILLINOIS basement. in terms of music, this FILM very much excelled in how it utilized the CATALOGUES of QUEEN, ALICE COOPER, THE JIMI HENDRIX EXPERIENCE and even GARY WRIGHT in featured scenes that forever transformed their relationship to the public. such included the ICONIC multi-part, group lip-syncing of QUEEN's epic "BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY" from the COMPRESSED hatchback confines of a 1976 AMC PACER, or the LUSTY hip-gyrations of GARTH to HENDRIX's "FOXY LADY" or even the OTHERWORLDLY daydreamed imaginations of WAYNE toward his beloved to the LIGHT, INTOXICATING sounds of "DREAMWEAVER." all these songs were absolutely INTEGRAL to the INTERNAL WORLD OF THE FILM. even live tracks from the film like "FEED MY FRANKENSTEIN" and "BALLROOM BLITZ" served their purpose as exemplars of the POWER of ROCK N ROLL as a performance in a live setting. i choose to see the WAYNE'S WORLD SOUNDTRACK in retrospect as not so much as a CALCULATED cash-in vehicle to meant to supplement the FILM's earnings, but as an extension of the experience of the PROJECT itself. other PROMINENT examples of similarly devised SOUNDTRACKS that truly extend the FILM EXPERIENCE includes those of THE BIG LEBOWSKI (GRAMERCY, 1998), TRAINSPOTTING (POLYGRAM, 1996), PULP FICTION (MIRAMAX, 1994), O BROTHER, WHERE ART THOU? (TOUCHSTONE, 2000), LOST HIGHWAY (OCTOBER, 1997) and even the recent GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY (MARVEL, 2014-2023) trilogy of decidedly NOSTALGIC "MIXTAPE" series. my guess to why such has died as a culturally VIABLE vehicle is that with the advent of MP3s, SOCIAL MEDIA and OMNIPRESENT STREAMING, music just doesnt live on the same PEDESTAL for most people as it once did. i still see it that way, i have a radio show and a blog where i regularly celebrate and write about such, but i am aware of my OUTLIER STATUS. the CULTURE moved on. but i still feel that the WAYNE'S WORLD SOUNDTRACK is an ESSENTIAL release from a relatively recent but utterly BYGONE era. photo manipulation & text by nacrowe
recently i was introduced to the INVENTIVE POP SONG-CRAFT of one CECILIA DELLA PERUTI, a.k.a. GOTHIC TROPIC. her take on SONGWRITING has a CONFESSIONAL yet HYPER-MODERN, GENRE-DEFYING AESTHETIC that makes sense once you are aware that she formerly toured as a MULTI-INSTRUMENTALIST for BECK and CHARLI XCX respectively. her ability to craft MEMORABLE MELODY LINES out of seemingly DISCORDANT ELEMENTS also makes sense given her pedigree as the daughter of an OPERA SINGER and a JAZZ COMPOSER. as a listener, i am just impressed when someone is able to make something STRUCTURALLY and SONICALLY CLEVER sound IMMEDIATE and EARWORM-Y. anyone can imitate CAPTAIN BEEFHEART or THROBBING GRISTLE, but few can make truly EXPERIMENTAL music sound PALATABLE and INTOXICATING a la BJORK, ANIMAL COLLECTIVE, GARY NUMAN, MIKE OLDFIELD, CHELSEA WOLFE, DAVID BYRNE or MIKE PATTON.
GOTHIC TROPIC is detinitely worth checking out.
parodies by nacrowe
although often critically MALIGNED as the more commercially viable offshoot of the PUNK ROCK explosion, NEW WAVE was arguably the vehicle that transformed and influenced CULTURE well beyond its more VOLATILE cousin's notoriously BRIEF late 70s heyday. PUNK was a bit of a PRIMAL SCREAM, a palette cleanser that reset the deck on what was musically VIABLE to its core constituent parts. POST PUNK was the EFFECTIVE YEAR ZERO resetting of those pieces sans the need to pay homage or even acknowledge previous TRADITIONS as NEW TECHNOLOGY both in the recording studio an in the new array of SYNTHETIC SOUNDS available allowed for a permission structure to experiment and create without LIMITATIONS.
my understanding is that NEW WAVE is a bit of both. it utilized these NOVEL TECHNOLOGIES and the FREEDOM they provided while also be conscious of the pre-PUNK TRADITIONS that came before, i.e. the BRITISH INVASION. the amount of bands that are associated with the NEW WAVE tag often have little sonically to do with one another, their association often only being from the same era. and it is that variety of INFLUENCES and SONIC AESTHETICS that make this period such a FRUITFUL and INTRIGUING one to revisit. it should also be mentioned that the advent of MTV and the proliferation of MUSIC VIDEOS similarly added a new mode of EXPRESSION that mainlined FASHION, CHOREOGRAPHY and CINEMATOGRAPHY into the vocabulary of music aficionados on a GLOBAL scale. ive always wondered what the advent of MTV would have been like had the pre-PUNK trajectory of VIRTUOSO musicians and evermore musically SOPHISTICATED (and BORING) catalogues made their way into the world of MUSIC VIDEOS. its INTERESTING to consider, but the diversity of material within the NEW WAVE movement was perfect for its time and place as nearly anything went, for good and bad, and MUSIC CULTURE seemed to be expanding on a MASSIVE scale for the first time, effectively connecting scenes to each other and creating a new promotional vehicle to STARDOM. of course a backlash to such ensued, i.e. the twin concurrent UNDERGROUND HARDCORE and COLLEGE ROCK / INDIE ROCK movements of the 1980s, but such blowback was informed by enormity of NEW WAVE nonetheless. i was born in the 1980s so i am particularly biased in favor of NEW WAVE as it was what i grew up with until my preteens when the related SEATTLE ALTERNATIVE ROCK PHENOMENON exploded. for me those two scenes inform the musical upbringing of my childhood and i hold such dear for completely NOSTALGIC reasons. embedded below is a recent DEER GOD RADIO episode on nonprofit internet radio station MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC that includes a playlist celebrating NEW WAVE bands and artists. enjoy! NOTE: unfortunately there was a technical snafu with this episode for the first hour, so make sure to start watching it at the 1:04:00 mark. all apologies! photo & text by nacrowe
its INTERESTING to look back at the debut BLUR album LEISURE (FOOD, 1991) given the incredibly DIVERSE and ACCOMPLISHED discography of not only frontman DAMON ALBARN, but also guitarist GRAHAM COXON. undoubtedly the band is a PIVOTAL and wildly INFLUENTIAL BRITISH CULTURAL SONGWRITING institution well beyond their BRITPOP association not unlike THE KINKS, T.REX, THE JAM, ELVIS COSTELLO, THE SMITHS, DAVID BOWIE, THE WHO, XTC, THE CLASH and THE BEATLES transcended GENRE before them.
but this is not the album to start with. to my ears LEISURE is the sound of a young ENTHUSIASTIC band getting acquainted with the RECORDING PROCESS and finding their bearings while sounding rather DERIVATIVE. all the hallmarks are there, a little MADCHESTER-esque ACID HOUSE beat here on "THERE'S NO OTHER WAY" (apparently a favorite of KURT COBAIN) that wouldnt sound out of place on a HAPPY MONDAYS, PRIMAL SCREAM or THE STONE ROSES track and a bit of ARTFUL SHOEGAZE DISSONANCE there on "SHE'S SO HIGH" a la LUSH, RIDE or SLOWDIVE. what shines through on those two singles is the QUALITY songwriting, the MEMORABLE guitar lines of COXON and the GENERATIONAL CHARISMA of ALBARN. compared to subsequent releases this album does not hold up beyond those two singles, with ALBARN even stating (probably overzealously) that it was one of the two BAD albums he ever made, the other being THE GREAT ESCAPE (FOOD, 1995). i think that assessment is a bit HARSH, but relative to their peers in OASIS, SUPERGRASS, ELASTICA and SUEDE, all of whom had CLASSIC debut albums, LEISURE is undoubtedly somewhat of a slow start of out the gate. but the growth both MUSICALLY and CONCEPTUALLY in-between this and their sophomore album MODERN LIFE IS RUBBISH (FOOD, 1993) is TREMENDOUS and showcases a considered and THOUGHTFUL PERSPECTIVE of BRITISH CULTURE brought on by the TRANSFORMATIONAL EXPERIENCE of EXTENSIVE INTERNATIONAL TOURING that put their sense of SELF-IDENTITY in context. such would be CREATIVE fodder for several records, if not the whole career of the band and numerous outside ALBARN and COXON projects. i would not state that LEISURE is an essential BLUR release, but it has two great singles and gives a UNIQUE look at a SEMINAL band during its brief NAIVE phase before a long STORIED, CULTURALLY SIGNIFICANT TRAJECTORY. photo manipulation & text by nacrowe
it is INEVITABLE when a MAJOR STAR plays for a SMALL market TEAM that people start questioning their MOTIVATION for seeking out greener pastures elsewhere. when GENERATIONAL BASKETBALL TALENT GIANNIS ANTETOKOUNMPO signed his super max deal in 2017 right before the MILWAUKEE BUCKS first championship in fifty years, there was much MISUNDERSTANDING in the NATIONAL media about his REASONING. similarly there has in recent years been much talk about his older brother THANASIS inclusion on their lineup. within this context, it is DIFFICULT to not see the CAPTIVATING recent GIANNIS: THE MARVELOUS JOURNEY (IMPROBABLE MEDIA, 2024) documentary as a rebuttal to such by providing CONTEXT and an absolutely RAW and HARROWING PERSONAL NARRATIVE that showcases his UNWAVERING COMMITMENT to family literally against all odds.
some PROFESSIONAL ATHLETES play fearing the possibility of losing, whereas ANTETOKOUNMPO fears his FAMILY being back in ATHENS as UNDOCUMENTED NIGERIAN IMMIGRANTS struggling to eat day to day. to some extent i knew the rough outline of his PERSONAL NARRATIVE but this film really hones in on the details of the EXTREME nature of his DESTITUTE EXISTENCE on the verge of SOCIETY battling HUNGER below the POVERTY LINE. what comes across is that he survived solely because of the SELFLESS INTERDEPENDENCE of his FAMILY, which included his PARENTS and three BROTHERS. GREECE saw an influx of IMMIGRATION during his LIFETIME and EXTREME NATIVIST organizations such as the FASCIST RISING DAWN political party literally attempted to exterminate such from the streets on sight. one of the more BRUTAL and DISTRESSING stories of the film showcases ANTETOKOUNMPO and THANASIS creating games to entice his younger BROTHERS to move faster as to literally avoid RISING DAWN DEATH SQUADS at nighttime in ATHENS. when he became a RECOGNIZED BASKETBALL prodigy, NIGERA offered him a passport which likewise found GREECE doing the same in order to keep him on the NAITONAL TEAM. such regard did not extend to his PARENTS or his young BROTHERS unfortunately. when he was drafted by the BUCKS in the 2013 NBA DRAFT and moved to MILWAUKEE it took months and much POLITICAL wrangling to get his PARENTS visas to the UNITED STATES. the BUCKS owner reached out to SECRETARY OF STATE JOHN KERRY to personally take on the project himself and sort out the details with the GREEK GOVERNMENT. apparently ANTETOKOUNMPO told the BUCKS ORGANIZATION that playing without his FAMLY was not an option. his SOLE MOTIVATION for playing landed squarely on the ability to uplift his IMMEDIATE FAMLY from POVERTY and better their COLLECTIVE situation, both materially and security-wise. if they couldnt make it work he wanted to return to GREECE, which is INCREDIBLE. what becomes CLEAR throughout the documentary is how ANTETOKOUNMPO deals with his business is related to a PROFOUND sense of LOYALTY and TRANSPARENCY towards those that reciprocate such with him and look out for the interests of him and his FAMLY. the BUCKS uplifted his FAMLY from a DESTITUTE EXISTENCE of EXTREME POVERTY in a backward country that ostracized them and didnt recognize their contributions to SOCIETY. its a UNIQUE RELATIONSHIP. the question now is that in the wake of a championship has that debt been paid by ANTETOKOUNMPO and then some. will he move on to another team for the next phase of career having given MILWAUKEE a taste of SUCCESS. much like when LEBRON JAMES left the CLEVELAND CAVALIERS with the city's BLESSING the second go-around after securing a title, i wonder if the same LOGIC applies with ANTETOKOUNMPO. i cant help but think it does and that any future time he visits the city he will be nothing but further embraced as a much BELOVED ADOPTED SON. i just dont see that playing out any differently. he is an all-time player with a likewise ALL-TIME WORK ETHIC and ability to elevate those around him with his POSITIVE SPIRIT. he is the PERFECT SPORTS embodiment of the region if there ever was one. have to say i was pleasantly surprised by how WELL-DONE this documentary was, fully expecting an overly SENTIMENTAL hagiography lacking an nuance. i consider GIANNIS: THE MARVELOUS JOURNEY a CLASSIC SPORTS documentary that is absolutely ESSENTIAL viewing. most definitely worth checking out. photo & text by nacrowe
i felt a bit LET DOWN after reading author DAVE THOMPSON's biography PERRY FARRELL: THE SAGA OF A HYPESTER (ST. MARTIN'S GRIFFIN, 1995) about the SEMINAL ALTERNATIVE ROCK ICON PERRY FARRELL of JANE'S ADDICTION, PORNO FOR PYROS and LOLLAPALOOZA fame. i should note that the book, which was published in the mid-1990s (no doubt as a cash-grab) begins and concludes with FARRELL's performance with PORNO FOR PYROS at WOODSTOCK 94, which was in support of their self-titled PORNO FOR PYROS (WARNER BROS, 1993) album. it was also before the reunion of JANE'S ADDICTION at the conclusion of the millennium and the two albums since so if anything this narrative and conclusions therein presented are understandably PREMATURE in nature.
all the same, it is more than DISAPPOINTING that THOMPSON's thesis is one which dismisses FARRELL's success as the result of him being a MASTER MANIPULATOR OF THE PRESSER and the seller of UNSUBSTANTIATED HYPE. NOTHING'S SHOCKING (WARNER BROS, 1988) and RITUAL DE LO HABITUAL (WARNER BROS, 1990) decades later stand FIRM and largely UNPARALLELED as COLOSSAL, era-defining ARTISTIC and CULTURAL ACHIEVEMENTS of the first order and set the table for what has transpired over the next few decades (including FAITH NO MORE, NIRVANA and the like). my hope was that this book would share some insight into the origins of some of these INDELIBLE TRACKS or the relationships between band members, their management and/or their producer. to that extent, major players like DAVE NAVARRO, ERIC AVERY, STEPHEN PERKINS and DAVE JERDEN are barely mentioned, as if they are bit players in this story. unfortunately THE SAGA OF A HYPESTER is mostly concerned with the PROMOTIONAL GAMBITS of FARRELL and the published criticisms of his projects over time, which i have to say is the LEAST INTERESTING aspect of his life narrative. the fact that local rock critics nationwide did not understand his ART on vinyl or in a live setting makes total sense, the DUDE is one of one. even back in the mid-1990s when this was written those opinions and contexts are largely DULL and IRRELEVANT. in essence THE SAGA OF A HYPESTER is more than a LETDOWN, its a MISSED OPPORTUNITY. i feel like i gained little knowledge by way of his process or the meaning behind his ART, which i assume is why most people would even bother with this book. the fact that he spearheaded LOLLAPALOOZA and innovated the CONCERT-GOING EXPERIENCE is likewise in THOMPSON's MYOPIC view without CULTURAL MERIT and full of what amounts to SHAMELESS HYPE. in retrospect i can at least take solace that his thesis was proven INCORRECT, that FARRELL is a universally RESPECTED ALTERNATIVE ROCK VETERAN and SUPPORTIVE ELDER STATESMAN on par with NEIL YOUNG, BOB DYLAN, IGGY POP, DAVID BOWIE and LOU REED. his continued engagement with the youth in terms of locating and promoting EMERGING bands with LOLLAPALOOZA even among his peers puts him in SINGULAR regard as he repeatedly puts that CREATIVE ENERGY back into the CULTURE, back into the musical and artistic communities, back into the very wellspring of creativity like an eternal resource. this book degrades his PERSONA as well as his achievements, even as far as they stood back in the mid 1990s. this book is NOT DEFINITIVE, ESSENTIAL or even worthy of further mention. best proceed and read the much better WHORES: AN ORAL BIOGRAPHY OF PERRY FARRELL AND JANE'S ADDICTION (DA CAPO, 2006) for a more THOUGHTFUL, EXTENSIVE and FAIR take on this ALTERNATIVE ROCK icon.
parody by nacrowe
check out HERE this recent streaming video episode of DEER GOD RADIO celebrating the SPANISH EXPERIMENTAL HIP HOP / LATIN MUSIC producer EL GUINCHO!
​ ​​past episodes of DEER GOD RADIO are available here at the DEER GOD website as well as in the MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC archives. and if you haven't done so already get the FREE PHONE APP for IOS/ANDROID and enjoy listening to MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC 24/7 at your convenience! photo & text by nacrowe
i always find it INTRIGUING that RUSH's MUCH-HERALDED eighth studio album MOVING PICTURES (MERCURY, 1981) is considered such a CAREER-DEFINING highlight given that it within the SCOPE and CONTEXT of their catalogue it was something of a TRANSITIONAL record. SYNTHESIZERS and KEYBOARD PAD SOUNDSCAPES were always a SUPPLEMENTAL ELEMENT on previous records but COMPOSITIONALLY and STRUCTURALLY were more of an additional ORCHESTRATED layer on top of the CORE GUITAR, PERCUSSION, BASS and VOCAL ELEMENTS. at their core RUSH were always a TECHNICALLY-PROFICIENT PROGRESSIVE ROCK band that utilized their abilities adroitly to aurally embellish on and help establish the MOODS and NARRATIVES of their almost LITERARY LYRICAL CONTENT.
interestingly on "TOM SAWYER", SYNTHS are introduced as an INSTRUMENT more than on equal terms with the other AFOREMENTIONED ELEMENTS. this would be a harbinger of what was to come throughout the 1980s as the next several releases would find ELECTRONIC SYNTH-BASED MUSIC at the forefront of their new TRANSFORMED SOUND. MOVING PICTURES is the beginning of such and arguably when that more equal balance was at its peak. that said there are several more TRADITIONAL RUSH tracks that represent some of the STRONGEST SONGWRITING of their career in "LIMELIGHT," "RED BARCHETTA," "VITAL SIGNS" and the ICONIC INSTRUMENTAL "YYZ." those tracks in particular almost represent a last hoorah of a certain approach to SONGWRITING that would not be revisited until the 1990s when the band transitioned into more of a legacy act. thing is, i really appreciate bands that are willing to INNOVATE and follow their own CREATIVE IMPULSES, dramatically altering their STYLE and SOUND damn the consequences or UNEVEN reactions from a HARDCORE fanbase. and believe me, RUSH fanatics are opinionated about their almost NERDISH obsession with the VIRTUOSIC TORONTO three piece. obvious MODERN examples of such include that of METALLICA, LINKIN PARK, AVENGED SEVENFOLD, RADIOHEAD, BRING ME THE HORIZON and AFI. its not even about whether the NEW SOUND was quality or not (not everyone can be DAVID BOWIE), more just the very idea that they were willing to take the risk of not being stuck in a CREATIVE RUT a la the RAMONES, AC/DC, MOTORHEAD, SLAYER and so forth that have effectively recreated the same record their whole career. more than any particular song, MOVING PICTURES is EMBLEMATIC to me of the need for artists to expand their SONIC PALETTE and explore, sometimes consciously shedding a SIGNIFICANT portion of their fanbase in the process. this go around it worked out CREATIVELY and commercially, but on subsequent releases like SIGNALS (MERCURY, 1982) and GRACE UNDER PRESSURE (MERCURY, 1984), such is up for SERIOUS debate. if anything MOVING PICTURES is an ESSENTIAL album by a LEGENDARY band well worth checking out. photo manipulation & text by nacrowe
just gonna start with the OBVIOUS here.
CHINO MORENO is a singularly TRANSCENDENT FRONTMAN who basically positioned himself as the ESSENTIAL link in the CULTURAL CHAIN, along with his much REVERED IDOL and direct antecedent MIKE PATTON (FAITH NO MORE, MR. BUNGLE), connecting EMOTIVE POST-PUNK SINGERS like MORRISSEY (THE SMITHS), IAN MCCULLOCH (ECHO & THE BUNNYMEN), PETERY MURPHY (BAUHAUS), ROBERT SMITH (THE CURE) and IAN CURTIS (JOY DIVISION) to MODERN highly EXPERIMENTAL POST-HARDCORE SINGERS such as DARYL PALUMBO (GLASSJAW), ANTHONY GREEN (CIRCA SURVIVE, SAOSIN) and CEDRIC BIXLER-ZAVALA (AT THE DRIVE-IN, MARS VOLTA). MORENO of course is RENOWNED for his work with the ICONIC SACRAMENTO ALTERNATIVE ROCK outfit DEFTONES, but in recent years has sought out side-projects that have extended his SONIC PALETTE, including the POST METAL band PALMS (with BRYANT CLIFFORD MEYER, AARON HARRIS and JEFF CAXIDE of ISIS), the SHOEGAZE / TRIP HOP outfit TEAM SLEEP and the decidedly INDUSTRIAL / DARK WAVE ELECTRONIC duo ††† (CROSSES). the beauty of a GENERATIONAL TALENT such as MORENO, (again, like PATTON) is that he can excel in any genre situation he finds himself in, and his listening habits reflect a wide breadth of such GENUINE APPRECIATION. at first glance CROSSES may come across as a CURIOUS creative decision but fans of MORENO are well aware of his ADMIRATION for early SYNTH POP bands like DEPECHE MODE and later DREAM POP acts like the COCTEAU TWINS. both of these INFLUENTIAL bands utilized the EXPANDED palette of ELECTRONIC TEXTURES to create AMBIENT and MELANCHOLIC soundscapes that seemed to evoke a heightened EMOTIVE plane. such seems to be the ARTISTIC ETHOS of CROSSES, if any. now MORENO is a known entity, but his LOCAL SACRAMENTO BANDMATE SHAUN LOPEZ of INFLUENTIAL POST-HARDCORE outfit FAR is a bit of a HIDDEN GEM. dude is the main COMPOSER and MULTI-INSTRUMENTALIST that on three EPs and two full-lengths has created an IMMERSIVE world of sound that is as MOROSE and DESOLATE as it is SEXY and INVITING. it is basically the seemingly PERFECT sonic counterpoint for the most commercially VISIBLE non-DEFTONES project his FAMOUS BANDMATE has been identified with. has LEGENDARY and universally REVERED as MORENO's main gig is, CROSSES lives up more than favorably to the EXPECTED and INEVITABLE comparisons. if anything, this venture for over a decade is more SLEEK and consciously MODERN in its APPROACH as well as PRESENTATION, and undoubtedly much of this is due to the OVERFLOWING CREATIVITY of LOPEZ in this context. definitely worth checking out. no doubt. this band is absolutely SICK.
photo & text by nacrowe
i was aware of LCD SOUNDSYSTEM's second SOUND OF SILVER (DFA, 2007) release, but it wasnt until visiting my cousin [a RECORDING ENGINEER] at his RECORDING STUDIO in GREENPOINT one summer after returning from abroad that i became privy to the idea that their frontman's [JAMES MURPHY] record label, DFA RECORDS, was a major CULTURAL FORCE worth exploring. to me SOUND OF SILVER was the DANCE SOUNDTRACK to dealing with GRIEF, which seems on the face of it like a COMPLETE OXYMORON, but a song like "SOMEONE GREAT" is acutely HEARTBREAKING while being CATHARTIC with a substantial VISCERAL weight. it basically transformed my opinion of the EMOTIONAL possibilities of DANCE MUSIC.
my cousin was a MASSIVE proponent of their SELF-TITLED LCD SOUNDSYSTEM (DFA, 2005) debut and especially the TRACK "LOSING MY EDGE," which was about getting older and feeling like your time has passed you by with all these younger generations of kids creeping up and taking over. to my taste that song lyrically was a bit PRECIOUS and SELF-IMPORTANT about what was an INSULAR MUSIC SCENE, but i took note. if anything, that INTIMATE sense of being part of a NASCENT CULTURAL MOVEMENT and spurring along COLLECTIVE creativity seems to be the MOTIVATING ETHOS of DFA RECORDS. there are so many strong DANCE-inflected EXPERIMENTAL BANDS on their roster over the years including HOLY GHOST!, BLACK DICE, HOT CHIP, THE CRYSTAL ARK, SHIT ROBOT, HERCULES & LOVE AFFAIR, YACHT, GUERRILLA TOSS, THE RAPTURE, FACTORY FLOOR and the aforementioned LCD SOUNDSYSTEM. it seems rather daft that i held such a REDUCTIVE opinion about DANCE MUSIC for so long. i imagine that such was INHERITED and comes from the INTRANSIGENT CULTURAL BAGGAGE associated with the internalization of the DISCO SUCKS movement writ large and the FALSE SUPERIORITY of supposedly "real" ACOUSTIC INSTRUMENTS over their SYNTHETIC brethren. nevermind the AWFUL ANTI-HOMOSEXUAL, ANTI-BLACK, ANTI-LATINO undercurrents that came with that REVANCHIST CULTURAL MOVEMENT which seemed to be clinging to an idealized (and undeniably CAUCASIAN) concept of AMERICA that was already an ANACHRONISM. when i think of DFA RECORDS and similar labels of its ilk, i think of REVOLUTIONARY MUSICIANS that are assisting in shedding the last vestiges of that HORRENDOUS legacy and allowing EMERGING generations to take in EXPERIMENTAL SOUNDS sans PAST CULTURAL BULLSHIT. and for that i thank them. even if it feels like the OVERWHELMING forces of CULTURAL REGRESSION are winning the war at the moment. embedded below is a recent DEER GOD RADIO episode on nonprofit internet radio station MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC that includes a playlist celebrating DFA RECORDS. enjoy! photo & text by nacrowe
in the immediate wake of the CULTURAL TSUNAMI that was NIRVANA's NEVERMIND (DGC, 1991) release, a slew of UNDERGROUND bands from DINOSAUR JR (SIRE), MUDHONEY (REPRISE), THE BUTTHOLE SURFERS (CAPITOL), DANIEL JOHNSTON (REPRISE), HELMET (INTERSCOPE), BAD RELIGION (ATLANTIC), DRIVE LIKE JEHU (INTERSCOPE), JESUS LIZARD (CAPITOL), TAD (WARNER BROS), ROYAL TRUX (VIRGIN), BOREDOMS (REPRISE), WEEN (INTERSCOPE), THE AFGHAN WHIGS (ELEKTRA & COLUMBIA) and MELVINS (ATLANTIC) were absurdly signed to major labels in short order who no doubt had ELEVATED ambitions of FINANCIALLY cashing-in on this UNIQUE GENERATIONAL PHENOMENON. in retrospect it is a testament to the POP CULTURE influence of KURT COBAIN at the time that bands as EXPERIMENTAL and seemingly UNCONVENTIONAL as these would even get a foot in the door, much less a record deal with INTERNATIONAL distribution.
such is the case with MELVINS and their major label debut HOUDINI (ATLANTIC, 1993), which is now considered a SLUDGE METAL classic. COBAIN, a former MELVINS ROADIE and SUPER-FAN, himself was listed as a co-PRODUCER on six tracks but GUITARIST and SINGER-SONGWRITER BUZZ OSBORNE has attested in recent years that such was a formality as the CELEBRATED NIRVANA frontman was sadly high on narcotics for most of the sessions leaving RECORDING ENGINEER GGGARTH to effectively take over the proceedings. that being said, HOUDINI's association with COBAIN garnered it some cache back in the day when everyone was waiting on the follow-up to NEVERMIND. it is the DIZZYING height of irony that COBAIN, who learned and lived the stridently INDEPENDENT DIY ETHOS of the PUNK ROCK lifestyle via his involvement with ABERDEEN hometown heroes in the MELVINS, was the EFFECTIVE reason they were afforded the opportunity to branch out into the MAINSTREAM via ATLANTIC RECORDS. regardless, the UNRELENTING SONIC BRUTALITY of absolutely PUMMELING tracks like "NIGHT GOAT," "HOOCH" and "HONEY BUCKET" is just SIGNATURE MELVINS. along with OZMA (BONER, 1989) and STONER WITCH (ATLANTIC, 1994), its effectively the sound that spawned HIGH ON FIRE, MASTODON, BORIS, TORCHE, SUNN O))), KYLESA and COUNTLESS SLUDGE, STONER and DOOM METAL bands galore. such a legacy is CURIOUS given their close association with SEATTLE and the ALTERNATIVE ROCK movement of that era, especially local LIKE-MINDED fellow "DEEP SIX" bands in SOUNDGARDEN, GREEN RIVER, THE U-MEN, SKIN YARD and MALFUNKSHUN. in essence MELVINS are an SINGULAR group in the HISTORY and LINEAGE of that scene. so effectively the MELVINS have an artfully AGGRESSIVE SONIC AESTHETIC that has long straddled MULTIPLE GENRES and influenced many SUBSEQUENT ACTS. but i think the one thing that hasnt been replicated is their LYRICAL EMBRACE of the ABSURD, mocking the countervailing "HONESTY" and "AUTHENTICITY" posturing that ALTERNATIVE ROCK FIGUREHEADS so readily and unironically embraced as a means of countering their PUNK ROCK guilt for jumping into bed with a major. for OSBORNE and drummer DALE CROVER they had nothing to be ashamed of and thus took it all in stride, lyrically creating almost WEEN-esque DADA FREE-ASSOCIATION experiments with no real COHERENT message. the music was the point. the MELVINS only lasted two more albums on ATLANTIC before being dropped and permanently going back to INDEPENDENT labels, but they milked the situation for all it was worth and were one of the few BANDS BUSINESS SAVVY-enough to not be defined artistically or commercially by their fleeting dalliance with the majors. they went into the relationship expecting it to end and planned accordingly. and they have remained successfully SELF-SUSTAINING to date. for me HOUDINI is an ESSENTIAL release from the 1990s ALTERNATIVE ROCK era despite its RELATIVE OBSCURITY with no big hits or singles to speak of. but like THE STOOGES or THE VELVET UNDERGROUND, its importance lays in the next generation of MUSICIANS that were exposed to it and initiated their own bands accordingly. most definitely worth checking out, especially as a decent introduction to this ICONIC GROUP. photo & text by nacrowe
JERRY LEE LEWIS has to be one of the most FASCINATING yet CONTROVERSIAL FIGURES in the HISTORY of ROCK N ROLL. my INTRODUCTION to him was through my father who played me during my pre-school years the likes of LEWIS as well as other EARLY ROCK N ROLL PIONEERS like BUDDY HOLLY, CHUCK BERRY, ELVIS PRESLEY, THE BIG BOPPER and LITTLE RICHARD as well as DOO WOP groups, namely FRANKIE LYMON & THE TEENAGERS. these are among some of my EARLIEST MUSICAL MEMORIES and my FIRST IMPRESSION of LEWIS was that INSANE ENERGY and CONTAGIOUS BRAVADO and CHARISMA with which he engaged the listener on positively IMMORTAL tracks like "GREAT BALLS OF FIRE" and "WHOLE LOTTA SHAKIN' GOIN ON'". in retrospect, it is that FRICTION, that INCREDIBLE KINETIC ENERGY he gave off that was the very ESSENCE of ROCK N ROLL and differentiated it from the TRADITIONAL RHYTHM & BLUES and ROCKABILLY TRADITIONS that presaged it. dude was a FORCE MULTIPLIER and undoubtedly the YOUTHFUL, REVOLUTIONARY SPIRIT and INNOVATIVE ETHOS of the BRITISH INVASION, PUNK ROCK, HIP HOP and beyond hold a DISTINCT debt to him. in the wake of his passing at 87 in 2022, CELEBRATED director ETHAN COEN's recently released documentary JERRY LEE LEWIS: TROUBLE IN MIND (A24, 2022) is understandably a RETROSPECTIVE PERSPECTIVE on the career and legacy of the EARLY ROCK N ROLL GIANT. it isnt quite a HAGIOGRAPHY, but it definitely chooses to not fully dwell on the DARKER and notoriously VOLATILE aspects of LEWIS' PERSONALITY (example: famously shooting his bass player in the chest). instead we are presented with information regarding his PENTACOSTAL upbringing and the role of PERFORMATIVE RELIGIOSITY and specifically the importance of harnessing the SPIRIT OF THE LORD in one's playing. born in rural LOUISIANA to a family with an extended number of AUNTS, UNCLES and COUSINS, THE CHURCH was the glue that tied the FAMILY together. intriguingly TELEVANGELIST and NOTED GRIFTER JIMMY SWAGGART was among his COUSINS. in this context it makes total sense that after his 1950s cultural peak waned in the aftermath of his CONTROVERSIAL marriage to another pre-teen COUSIN (he was 22, she was one day past 13) that he resorted to GOSPEL and TRADITIONAL COUNTRY & WESTERN music in the 1960s and 1970s, with all the PIETY and OVERZEALOUS RELIGIOSITY that such entails. about that marriage, it was his third of seven, his first being when he himself was 16. apparently more than a few of them overlapped so the dude was also something a BIGAMIST as well. that was all news to me, although yet strangely UNSURPRISING in the least. but these aspects of his PERSONALITY and life were not really the focus of this film, which showed GRATUITOUS PERFORMANCE FOOTAGE from various TELEVISED EVENTS over the years and mostly glowing praise by contextualizing interview subjects. in the age of YOUTUBE, this footage is a bit UNREMARKABLE sans contextualization by you get the point quickly that LEWIS was a uniquely TRANSFORMATIVE and GENERATIONAL TALENT, even amongst his revered peer group, and was a CAPTIVATING SHOWMAN. the film ends by mentioning that he outlived his contemporaries when he finally pass on, but i am not sure how RELEVANT such is. as a musician his it is arguable that his legacy is somewhat UNDIMINISHED (such seems to be the argument of this film). but as an INDIVIDUAL his CHARACTER is painted as IMMORAL and singularly COMPROMISED due to marrying a CHILD BRIDE, although its INTERESTING to consider how the likes of JERRY SEINFELD, JIMMY PAGE, WOODY ALLEN and STEVEN TYLER did very much similar things regarding UNDERAGE girls in later eras to DIMINISHING degrees of public RIDICULE and DAMAGE to their REPUTATION. unquestionably for LEWIS it did IRREVERSIBLE DAMAGE to his CULTURAL LEGACY and PERSONAL REPUTATION. add him to list of PROBLEMATIC artists. does that negate his art? i dont know. that is a much LARGER CONVERSATION, but i know that sans any INFORMATION regarding such details as a child i was completely MESMERIZED by the POWER of his music. this film offers a USEFUL INTRODUCTION and some CONTEXT to his ouevre and PERSONAL NARRATIVE, but is far from a HARD-HITTING expose of the bleaker aspects of his PERSONALITY and BEHAVIOR. id say this documentary is INTRIGUING but by no means ESSENTIAL. photo & text by nacrowe
i absolutely adored CANADIAN ARTIST and HUMORIST JESSICA CAMPBELL's HILARIOUS takedown of the ACADEMIC and CULTURAL PATRIARCHY inherent to the ART WORLD in her HOT OR NOT: 20th CENTURY MALE ARTISTS (KOYAMA, 2016) graphic novel. the comic finds CAMPBELL herself as an instructor leading a group of people through an ART GALLERY, hitting on the finer points of the cultural INNOVATIONS, TECHNIQUES and LEGACIES of various ARTISTS and, well, whether or not they were HOT. inevitably, as it usually is, all of the ARTISTS discussed were MEN as WOMEN through the generations were not respected by the ELITE ACADEMIC and PATRON CLASS due to what can only be described as outright MISOGYNY.
what CAMPBELL is doing here by reducing the CELEBRATED contributions of SEMINAL ARTISTS like MARK ROTHKO (NOT), HENRI MATISSE (NOT), GUSTAV KLIMT (NOT), PIET MONDRIAN (HOT), PAUL GAUGUIN (NOT) and AMEDEO MODIGLIANI (HOT) to their PHYSICAL APPEARANCE is the height of ABSURDITY, but that is the point. she is counteracting what has been referred to as the IMPLIED and INTENDED MALE GAZE of the viewership. it is beyond PREPOSTEROUS that WOMEN have long been subject to such AWFUL SCRUTINY in order to accumulate and broadcast VALUE both in the ARTISTIC and ECONOMIC MARKETPLACE, past and present. historically this is a concern most MEN dont even consider or remotely think about, so PERVASIVE is this WARPED MINDSET. CAMPBELL is bringing such a culturally sanctioned PERSPECTIVE to its LOGICAL conclusion by including MEN, but such naturally feels UNNATURAL and out of place. that FRICTION and UNBALANCE we perceive is a showcase of how acculturated said messaging has been to our internalized sense of SELF and our place within the WIDER COMMUNITY. the tone is LIGHT, HUMOROUS and AIRY but the implications are BRUTAL, PENETRATING and quite CONSEQUENTIAL as we have been handed down BEDROCK MISINFORMATION that informs our basis for RELATIONSHIPS and OPINIONS regarding one another, especially with regards to GENDER. it is also just FUNNY to read and take in. this graphic novel doesnt discount the contributions of said MALE ARTISTS, but the inference is that there is a whole body of work missing in the ether of HISTORY from CREDIBLE FEMALE ARTISTS that never received a fair shake at a legacy due to MALIGNANT ATTITUDES and OPINIONS culturally handed down the generations and reinforced by GENDER REDUCTIVE JUDEO-CHRISTIAN VALUES in THE WEST. HOT OR NOT: 20th CENTURY MALE ARTISTS places such an EVOCATIVE and CONTROVERSIAL conversation in its PROPER PERSPECTIVE: with humor, wit and UNBRIDLED CLARITY. much as with other works from her catalogue, this work by CAMPBELL is definitely worth checking out. photo manipulation & text by nacrowe
at this stage the LONG-RUNNING TINY MUSIC CONCERT series by NATIONAL PUBLIC RADIO, filmed and recorded out of their NATIONAL WASHINGTON DC headquarters behind the desk of ALL SONGS CONSIDERED's host BOB BOILEN is something of a CULTURAL INSTITUTION in the vein of what MTV UNPLUGGED once was back in the 1990s. in essence it is a STRIPPED-BACK, no frills affair in which EMERGING and LEGACY ARTISTS alike are tested with providing a CONVINCING PERFORMANCES sans all the comforts of a NORMAL STAGING SITUATION and instead find themselves in the STERILE confines of a CORPORATE office with a MINIMUM of technology and seemingly zero sound treatments.
and that is what makes these seemingly IMPROMPTU PERFORMANCES so COMPELLING. you really get the sense that the ARTIST showed up a few minutes ago and is just going for it in an INTIMATE setting without all the RITUALS and CIRCUMSTANCE of a REGULAR GIG. since 2008 there have been more than 800 PARTICIPATING ARTISTS that have spanned nearly every CONCEIVABLE genre and generation. the breadth of material makes this series, even in the age of YOUTUBE and the INSTANTANEOUS transmission of digital video recordings, very much feel like a RECORD OF NOTE for POSTERITY. the ARTISTS i chose to attach videos of below including ERYKAH BADU, CYPRESS HILL, PJ HARVEY, BLACK UHURU, GEORGE CLINTON, 311, MAC MILLER, SPARKS, CAT POWER, GWAR, SANTIGOLD, WIRE, THUNDERCAT, BELLE AND SEBASTIAN, RAKIM, THE BETHS, NILE ROGERS and THE CRANBERRIES is a DIMINUITIVE list that is far from COMPREHENSIVE or AUTHORITATIVE. checking out the past TINY MUSIC CONCERT videos is most definitely worth your while. im always surprised by what i find there. photo & text by nacrowe
ever since my FAMILY moved overseas from SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA in the mid 90s, NEW JERSEY became a bit of an ADOPTED HOME base between stints in NIGERIA, KUWAIT and ANGOLA. its FUNNY to me that it took me attending a year of high school in the MIDDLE EAST to become aware of a PUNK ROCK band that was from just an hour up the GARDEN STATE PARKWAY in NEW BRUNSWICK. but yeah, it was through a classmate in KUWAIT that i became aware of THE BOUNCING SOULS around the turn of the millennium and specifically two of their first four albums in MANIACAL LAUGHTER (CHUNKSAAH, 1996) and HOPELESS ROMANTIC (EPITAPH, 1998).
MANIACAL LAUGHTER was effectively a SELF-RELEASED, INDEPENDENT effort that saw the band establish its CHARGED, BREAKNECK-PACED TEMPOS, NYHC-influenced GANG VOCALS and ANTHEMIC CHORUSES that became its calling card via mostly TRADITIONAL PUNK fair in "THE BALLAD OF JOHNNY X," "QUICK CHECK GIRL," "LAMAR VANNOY," "THE FREAKS, NERDS, & FANATICS" and "HERE WE GO." even at this early stage their is a PROPULSIVE, MELODIC PULSE to bassist BRIAN KEINLEN's SIGNATURE BASS-LINES and frontman GREG ATTONITO's EVERYMAN WAILING. the songs would dramatically improve in short order beyond this release once the band made the step up to EPITAPH, but all the quirks and IDIOSYNCRASIES that make THE BOUNCING SOULS themselves are apparent in spades on their second INDEPENDENT release. what drew me to the band, both on record and later as a live act when i saw them repeatedly at WARPED TOUR over the next decade, was their SONIC DRIVE and ENERGY as well as a RELATABLE ability to convey a sense of ORDINARY, everyday struggle in their LYRICS. while i consider the INDIVIDUAL band members NEW JERSEY icons a la BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN and more than appreciate their adoption of the JERSEY SHORE as a base of operations with numerous side businesses (including a RECORDING STUDIO and a TATTOO SHOP), the band itself was never a vehicle for STARDOM such as NOFX was for FAT MIKE, PENNYWISE for FLETCHER DRAGGE or RANCID for TIM ARMSTRONG. somehow they managed over time to keep their RELATIVE ANONYMITY and just become a part of the greater COMMUNITY in suburban NEW JERSEY. for me personally that is the most PUNK ROCK thing ever, just being yourself and contributing positively to the quality of life of your NEIGHBORS and FRIENDS. thats what i hear when i listen to their discography, especially those early releases such as MANIACAL LAUGHTER. definitely worth checking out. |
NICHOLAS ARCHIVES
April 2024
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