gonna level with you right at the jump.  not HORROR fan at all.  seen most of the most CONSEQUENTIAL FILMS of the genre, from the CLASSIC UNIVERSAL MONSTER MOVIES, through the gimmickry of WILLIAM CASTLE and SUSPENSFUL ALFRED HITCHCOCK OEUVRE right down to the 1970s EXPLOITATION FILMS and the JASONS, PINHEADS, FREDDIES, CHUCKIES, LEATHERFACES, CANDYMANS and so on down the line.  its FUNNY because i have literally gotten into every genre but HORROR.  just found it all real TACKY and cinematically LAZY with the JUMP SCARES and all.  dont even get me started on the MODERN TORTURE PORN that the genre has descended into today.

but there is no doubt that HORROR FILMS and METAL go together like peanut butter and jelly.  look no further than the IMMORTAL originators in the MIGHTY BLACK SABBATH taking their very name and concept from the ITALIAN MARIO BRAVA-directed, BORIS KARLOFF-fronted VEHICLE BLACK SABBATH (GALATEA, 1963).  guitarist TONY IOMMI, arguably the sonic architect of METAL, and bassist GEEZER BUTLER, who wrote most of the lyrics for BLACK SABBATH, saw this new direction as making SCARY music to frighten people with.  down the lines with bands like IRON MAIDEN and MEGADETH you have mascots that take their unquestionably take their inspiration from the genre, those being EDDIE and VIC RATTLEHEAD respectively. 

so it makes sense that the ICONIC GIBSON BRANDS INC, having celebrated the players themselves (GIBSON TV: ICONS), their instrument collections (GIBSON TV: THE COLLECTION) and the performance venues, record and instrument stores that support them and the industry (GIBSON TV: THE SCENE), that they would expand into adjacent CULTURAL PHENOMENA like CINEMA.  so far in this four-part series entitled METAL & MONSTERS, hosted by bassist PIGGY D (WEDNESDAY 13, ROB ZOMBIE) NOTABLE participants include KIRK HAMMETT (METALLICA), JOHN 5 (MARILYN MANSON, ROB ZOMBIE, MOTLEY CRUE), CHARLIE BENANTE (ANTHRAX), REX BROWN (PANTERA), BILL STEER (CARCASS, NAPALM DEATH) and DUG PINNICK (KING'S X).

if you love METAL and HORROR, then yeah, this is for you.  if not, its probably worth disregarding.  i do appreciate the effort though of GIBSON going for it with this type of CROSS-BRANDING content.  it seems like the NATURAL type of reach-out MEDIA they should be involved in, regardless of whether it works or not.  to me the set design on stage with the COFFIN coffee table and the OBLIGATORY SKULLS, CANDELABRAS and JACK-O-LANTERNS was all a bit OBVIOUS and ON-THE-NOSE for my taste.  just came off trying a bit too hard but im not mad at this.  again, just not my thing.

the BIRMINGHAM-based THIRD-WAVE SKA band THE ENGLISH BEAT was a relative late-comer to the 2-TONE party, but their STELLAR debut I JUST CAN'T STOP IT (SIRE, 1980) was well worth it with some of the best SONGWRITING of the period.  while previous bands like THE SPECIALS and MADNESS were able to effectively translate a deep affinity for JAMAICAN legends in DESMOND DEKKER, PRINCE BUSTER, LAUREL AITKEN and JIMMY CLIFF into a PROPULSIVE, ANTHEMIC, COHESIVE sound, in my opinion THE ENGLISH BEAT brought to the table a DISTINCT POST PUNK AESTHETIC that skewed and manipulated the sound to their own IDIOSYNCRATIC CREATIVE INSTINCTS, which tended sonically towards the slightly SURREAL, IMPRESSIONISTIC and dare-i-say PSYCHEDELIC.  in essence the are one of the key bands that evolved the SOUND of SKA MUSIC beyond its origins and set the table for further HYBRIDIZATION that has continued on to the present.  STANDOUT tracks include "TEARS OF A CLOWN," "CAN'T GET USED TO LOSING YOU," "RANKING FULL STOP," "HANDS OFF... SHE'S MINE" and of course, the CLASSIC stomper "MIRROR IN THE BATHROOM."

my exposure to the band was two-fold.  in high school i followed and listened extensively the TRADITIONAL NEW JERSEY PUNK ROCK group THE BOUNCING SOULS who were are all STEADFAST and OUTSPOKEN acolytes of the band and as a small child FINE YOUNG CANNIBALS (consisting of guitarist ANDY COX and bassist DAVID STEELE of THE ENGLISH BEAT) were a major player and influence in my early appreciation for music writ large.  in some ways i was just destined to discover the band at some point.  for me it just comes down to the songs, which are UPBEAT and have a contagiously ECLECTIC POP SONIC AESTHETIC that seemingly combines everything from LATIN, REGGAE, SOUL MUSIC and SKA, yet is distinctly its own thing.  in a sense they were forbearers of what would become critically tagged as NEW WAVE, which was a less AGGRESSIVE and more musically SOPHISTICATED, catch-all peer genre of PUNK ROCK that would encompass everyone from BLONDIE, TALKING HEADS, DEVO, XTC, NEW ORDER, THE CARS and beyond.  even among that ESTEEMED company THE ENGLISH BEAT and their debut transcends such with their INFECTIOUS sense of OPTIMISM and UNDENIABLE, PROPULSIVE GROOVE.

 I JUST CAN'T STOP IT is just a FUN, ENERGETIC set of songs by a TALENTED group at the peak of their powers that never gets old.  definitely worth checking out.

its always a TREAT to inadvertently discover KILLER local BANDS.  such was the case spending large portions of my life in SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA, WESTERN MASSACHUSETTS and the JERSEY SHORE and discovering the likes of AGENT ORANGE (PLACENTIA),  THE VANDALS (HUNTINGTON BEACH), SOCIAL DISTORTION (FULLERTON), DINOSAUR JR (AMHERST), KILLSWITCH ENGAGE (WESTFIELD), SEBADOH (NORTHAMPTON), THE BOUNCING SOULS (NEW BRUNSWICK) and THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN (MORRIS PLAINS).

Such was also the case with my recent NORTH JERSEY find in the decidedly massive ORCHESTRAL ALTERNATIVE/INDIE ROCK SOUND of WOODBRIDGE's own OWEL.  made up of a COLLECTIVE of friends and peers from nearby NYC's INSTITUTE OF AUDIO RESEARCH, the GROUP is one that plays a remarkably HANDS-ON role in the COMPOSITION and PRODUCTION of its UPLIFTING and EXPANSIVE SOUND.  equally both DELICATE and PROPULSIVE in its ANGULAR SONG-CRAFT, OWEL to my ears comes off as reminiscent of PACIFIC NORTHWEST BANDS as DISPARATE as MINUS THE BEAR and DEATH CAB FOR CUTIE.

definitely worth checking out.

parodies by nacrowe

like everything, i cam to POST-HARDCORE late.  again, my FORMATIVE years were spent abroad in places like NIGERIA and KUWAIT in the mid-to-late 1990s and wasnt even aware of the party until i attended undergrad stateside in the early 2000s.  i was at RUTGERS UNIVERSITY and was oddly at the epicenter of a scene that included local bands like THURSDAY and MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE that had either moved on or were currently forming in the area.  to my UNINITIATED ears these bands along with other EMERGING national acts like GLASSJAW, AT THE DRIVE-IN, TAKING BACK SUNDAY and THE USED just sounded like the next generation of DISSONANT ROCK N ROLL bands with singing by frontmen who obviously came from the ECLECTIC MIKE PATTON / MORRISSEY / CHINO MORENO / ROBERT SMITH school of EMOTIVE CROONING.  less MACHO POSTURING and more CONFESSIONAL lyrics dealing with HEARTACHE, REJECTION and the ADVERSITIES of daily life.  as an underclassman in college it was MUSIC seemingly sonically and lyrically tailored made to SOUNDTRACK my very EXISTENCE.

as the name suggests, POST-HARDCORE is what came after the HARDCORE PUNK ROCK movement of the 1980s, which quickly calcified into a rigidly FORMULAIC (with a few exceptions, i.e. MINUTEMEN, BUTTHOLE SURFERS, HUSKER DU, THE MEAT PUPPETS)  lyrically and sonically CONFINED template of ANTI-AUTHORITARIAN SCREEDS with quick outbursts of unassailably DISSONANT and aggressively UNRELENTING raw NOISE.  SUBTLETY was not the focus here, nor was MUSICIANSHIP.  if anything HARDCORE represented this PRIMAL SCREAM of DISAFFECTED suburban youth alienated by the arch conservative policies of REAGAN-era politics and the trite SUPERFICIALITY of their surroundings.  to them the AMERICAN DREAM was dead and deserved to be shat on in public.  what is INTRIGUING is that what came out of that complete OUTWARD NIHILISTIC WORLDVIEW was a complete 180 turn.  POST-HARDCORE turned that lyrical bent INWARD and concocted more INTROSPECTIVE dealing with SELF-COMPLICITY and VULNERABILITY.  that new THOUGHTFUL, personally ACCOUNTABLE and CONTEMPLATIVE PERSPECTIVE was supported by more NUANCED and musically DEFT manipulations of the NOISE, CHAOS and AURAL LEXICON of HARDCORE into this HYBRID, EVOLVED APPROACH.  

what i love about POST-HARDCORE bands like GLASSJAW, AT THE DRIVE-IN, REFUSED, CIRCA SURVIVE, FUGAZI and THE BLOOD BROTHERS is that they all share this sense of barely CONTAINED CHAOS, as if the very song itself is on the verge of UNRAVELING and caving in on itself.  the songs just seem to explode and have this UNCANNY sense of PROPULSIVE forward momentum with the band attempting to catch up in the process and harness its ENERGY POTENTIAL.  these songs at their best are less TIGHT COMPOSITIONS and more quasi-euphoric COMMUNAL SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCES that has more in keeping with ECSTATIC tradition of FREE JAZZ pioneers JOHN COLTRANE and ORNETTE COLEMAN than HARDCORE luddites in ROGER MIRET or VINNIE STIGMA.  at least that is how it felt in the crowd watching these POST-HARDCOR bands throughout the 2000s whip up their fans into a state of COLLECTIVE EUPHORIA.  i remember seeing GLASSJAW play at CONVENTION HALL in ASBURY PARK and thinking halfway through the set that this is what being in a CULT must be feel like.  just that complete dedication of being 100% IN-THE-MOMENT and on the same EMOTIONAL WAVELENGTH as everyone around you.  for me that is the DEFINITIVE POST-HARDCORE EXPERIENCE.

embedded below is a recent DEER GOD RADIO episode on nonprofit internet radio station MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC that includes a playlist celebrating my FAVORITE POST-HARDCORE bands.  enjoy!

back in 1997 when JANE'S ADDICTION REFORMED, or rather "RELAPSED" for what would become the first of many such REVIVALS over the years with VARIOUS LINE-UPS, the BAND decided on releasing the KETTLE WHISTLE (WARNER BROS, 1997) COMPILATION ALBUM as a COMPANION PRODUCT to their planned TOUR. 

the SONG SELECTIONS were reportedly done by DRUMMER STEPHEN PERKINS, who was somewhat of an IN-HOUSE BAND archivist, and included LIVE TRACKS as well as some choice RARITIES and DEMOS as well as STUDIO OUTTAKES mostly culled from their late 1980s heyday.   this LINE-UP of JANE'S ADDICTION included FLEA on BASS rather than FOUNDING member ERIC AVERY, who opted out, and so the two TRACKS "SO WHAT!" and "KETTLE WHISTLE" are the only recorded tracks from this era (however it should be noted that FLEA played TRUMPET on their NOTHING'S SHOCKING major label DEBUT).  this connection was timely as GUITARIST DAVE NAVARRO had just previously played with FLEA and the RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS on their ONE HOT MINUTE (WARNER BROS, 1995) release after taking over GUITAR DUTIES for JOHN FRUSCIANTE.  technically during this period he was still an ACTIVE MEMBER of both GROUPS.  that being said, "SO WHAT!" is a completely NEW TRACK while "KETTLE WHISTLE" was an UNRECORDED song from the late 1980s, both recorded by this period's LINE-UP.  

i can distinctly remember the moment i acquired KETTLE WHISTLE.  i was at a wildlife reserve in BOTSWANA that was along the NAMIBIA border with my family on vacation back in 1998.  it was a trip that saw us visit SOUTH AFRICA, ZIMBABWE, ZAMBIA as well as BOTSWANA.  at the time my family lived in NIGERIA and my father had ordered COMPACT DISC COPIES of NOTHING'S SHOCKING (WARNER BROS, 1988), RITUAL DE LO HABITUAL (WARNER BROS, 1990) and KETTLE WHISTLE for me as a gift.  this was PRE-INTERNET and it took weeks for things from EUROPE or the UNITED STATES to make its way over and through customs due to CRAZY corruption in LAGOS.  anyway, i can remember first hearing all three albums in totality while sitting outside my room's door surrounded by warthogs.  for me the crux of KETTLE WHISTLE are the three HOLLYWOOD PALLADIUM live recordings of "AIN'T NO RIGHT," "UP THE BEACH" and "THREE DAYS."  listening to those SONGS clicked in my head how POWERFUL the BAND was as a LIVE ACT.  intriguingly i heard those LIVE TRACKS at the same time i became familiar with the STUDIO VERSIONS, both FIERCE in their own respective light.  i wouldnt actually see the BAND live for another decade as part of the NIN/JA co-headlining 2009 TOUR with NINE INCH NAILS, the first reunion with AVERY in tow.

JANE'S ADDICTION only has a handful of RELEASES and the two that are absolutely ESSENTIAL are NOTHING'S SHOCKING and RITUAL DE LO HABITUAL.  for a new listener interested in the BAND i'd point them in that direction rather than KETTLE WHISTLE as an introduction.  KETTLE WHISTLE is more ENJOYABLE as an extension of those two RELEASES.  it was meant as a SAMPLER to get their fanbase reacquainted with the GROUP, to get their appetites whetted in anticipation for the UPCOMING TOUR.  it served its purpose as a CURIOSITY but in recent years there are other LIVE RELEASES that are much more COHESIVE and AUTHORITATIVE that are worth pursuing.  recommended but not ESSENTIAL listening.

these days in our MODERN DIGITAL ECONOMY we are absolutely bombarded with SLEEK, OMNIPRESENT MULTI-MEDIUM ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS that are positively INESCAPABLE and the concept of "CORPORATE BRANDING" is so UBIQUITOUS that it now applies to our individual selves and what we project on SEARCHABLE SOCIAL MEDIA FEEDS, BLOGS and CAREER WEBSITES.  but back in immediate postwar AMERICA when the HEGEMONIC POLITICAL INFLUENCE and ECONOMIC POWER arguably took off, this concept regarding EFFECTIVE BRANDING was more NEBULOUS and UNDEFINED in the MARKETPLACE. in a sense, that is what makes ART PAUL, the FAMED initial art director of PLAYBOY, such a REVOLUTIONARY figure since he corralled GRAPHIC DESIGN, TYPOGRAPHY, PAINTING and ILLUSTRATION into a CORPORATE LIFESTYLE BRAND that blurred the line between COMMERCIAL and FINE ART.   that is before mentioning that his LOGO for PLAYBOY and its MINIMALIST BAUHAUS-inspired AESTHETIC is arguably the most INFLUENTIAL CORPORATE BRANDING of all-time, directly inspiring that of NIKE, MCDONALD'S, AUDI, SPOTIFY, UBER, TARGET, VOLKSWAGEN, FACEBOOK, MASTERCARD, TWITTER, AIRBNB, PEPSI, LOUIS VUITTON,  STARBUCKS, NASA, ADIDAS and so on.

the recent documentary ART PAUL OF PLAYBOY: THE MAN BEHIND THE BUNNY (AMERICAN DREAM, 2020) very much gets into the origins and career of PAUL as well as CONTEMPORARY pushback regarding his legacy promoting a company that effectively exploited FEMALE SEXUALITY as another CONSUMERIST COMMODITY. as aforementioned, PAUL was a student of the BAUHAUS and attended the SCHOOL OF THE ART INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO as well as the INSTITUTE OF DESIGN (founded as THE NEW BAUHAUS but today is part of the ILLINOIS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY) under LAZSLO MOHOLY-NAGY.  for MOHOLY-NAGY, design principles were both EXPERIMENTAL and rigorously UTILITARIAN, with the key objective being the AESTHETIC elevation of COMMON household, MASS-PRODUCED objects to in turn promote the well-being of society.  its INTRIGUING to consider how DESIGN was viewed in this manner as an OPTIMISTIC EXPRESSION of the new AMERICAN century of dominance and cultural superiority along UTILITARIAN and AESTHETIC grounds.  such was how PAUL viewed GRAPHIC DESIGN when he took his meeting with HUGH HEFNER early in his career and effectively created the LOOK of one of the LANDMARK PUBLICATIONS in MODERN AMERICAN history. 

dont believe me? 

under PAUL's supervision the MAGAZINE promoted and included the WORK of REVERED CONTRIBUTING ARTISTS such as FRANK GALLO, LEROY NEIMAN, BRAD HOLLAND, KINUKO Y CRAFT, ROY SCHNACKENBERG and BOB LOSTUTTER as well as NOTABLE local CHICAGO ARTISTS such as ED PASCHKE, ROGER BROWN, KARL WIRSUM, SEYMOUR ROSOFSKY and SHEL SILVERSTEIN.  likewise CELEBRATED CONTRIBUTING WRITERS included the likes of JOYCE CAROL OATES, JACK KEROUAC, MARGARET ATWOOD, ALEX HALEY, KURT VONNEGUT, NELSON ALGREN, RAY BRADBURY, VLADIMIR NABOKOV, RICHARD HUNT and JOHN CHEEVER.  just on the exposure of such talent alone to a wider audience places the PUBLICATION in UNIVERSAL high regard, never mind the UN-REDACTED and highly CONTROVERSIAL interviews with HISTORICAL CIVIL RIGHTS LEADERS like MALCOM X and MARTIN LUTHER KING JR at the height of COINTELPRO (who were often victims of the POLITICALLY-MOTIVATED editorialization that came with the highly EDITED transcripts of their interviews with national LEGACY PUBLICATIONS).  

but one of the great counter-arguments of the film is that of GRAPHIC DESIGN legend PAULA SCHER and her contention that PAUL was not a practitioner of GOOD GRAPHIC DESIGN since such promoted what amounts to a MORALLY BANKRUPT operation.  she disagreed firmly with the ETHOS of the MAGAZINE and its depiction of WOMEN in their nude pictorials.  its an INTERESTING commentary because it very much gets at the base INTENTION of DESIGN and ART itself.  what is it that you are actually promoting and how ethically grounded is such? 

back when i was taking film class in college i remember similarly IMPASSIONED adn FIERCE debates regarding the WORK of NAZI PROPAGANDIST LENI REIFENSTAHL and the STATE-SPONSORED films she directed promoting the IDEOLOGY of the THIRD REICH.  it is without question that she innovated the MEDIUM using all sorts of newly constructed CRANE SHOTS and DOLLY MOVEMENTS with the INTENTION of adding to the GRANDEUR and SPECTACLE of ADOLF HITLER and his WARPED vision.  did that make such quote unquote GOOD CINEMA?  its a debate as old as time at this point, but very much gets at the relationship between the ART and the ARTIST that taints how we view the CREATIVE WORK of several severely MORALLY-COMPROMISED CREATIVES from KANYE WEST, TERRY RICHARDSON, R KELLY, SALVADOR DALI, PHIL SPECTOR, RICHARD WAGNER, CHUCK BERRY, PAUL GAUGUIN, P DIDDY, ROMAN POLANSKY, MORRISSEY, CARAVAGGIO, MICHAEL JACKSON, PABLO PICASSO and so on.  but does it make their WORK any less GREAT? 

i dont know.

the film doesnt equate PLAYBOY with any of the EXTREME behavior of those aforementioned MUSICIANS, DIRECTORS, ARTISTS, COMPOSERS and PROPAGANDISTS who undoubtedly transgressed clear societal moral lines, but an argument could be made that through its GENTLE PROMOTION of CONSUMERIST and SEXUALLY RISK-TAKING activity it laid the groundwork for a base MISOGYNY that has seeped and become metastasized into our COLLECTIVE NATIONAL PSYCHE to the point that a charlatan like DONALD TRUMP (who is the LOGICAL albeit CARTOONISH version of those principles) can run for national leadership with no SEVERE pushback. 

that is the rub as i see it.

i dont blame HEFNER or PAUL for TRUMP, but the connection is there and the ART PAUL OF PLAYBOY documentary seemingly points the way albeit unintentionally.  this is a TERRIFIC film that is definitely worth checking out, whatever your politics regarding SEX.

COCHLEA & EUSTACHIA (FANTAGRAPHICS, 2014) by the MASSACHUSETTS-based HANS RICKHEIT is bar-none one of the more BIZARRE and outright OPAQUE GRAPHIC NOVELS i have ever come across.  its PHANTASMAGORICAL depictions of what appear to be two IDENTICAL twins in a future DREAM-LIKE, DYSTOPIAN LABYRINTH of DEMENTED yet IMAGINATIVE HORRORS is nearly IMPOSSIBLE to discern much of anything NARRATIVE-wise.  the first thought that immediately came to mind as an analogue was the WORK of early SURREALISTS like MAX ERNST or the DADA COLLABORATIVE CINEMATIC EFFORTS of LUIS BUNUEL and SALVADOR DALI, but with RICKHEIT there seems to be no sense of an UNDERGIRDING, LOGICAL CONSTRUCT to anything. 

things just happen.

no ORIGIN STORY.  no CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT.  no EXISTENTIAL questions raised.  no desire expressed for searching out a DEEPER MEANING.  seemingly nothing gained or lost.  even what appear to be TRAUMATIC events that include the BRUTAL depictions DISMEMBERMENT and DISEMBOWELMENT of what are assumed to be our TWIN PROTAGONISTS, merely is just another TRIVIAL step to absolutely NOWHERE.  just a PERPLEXING and consciously UNDECIPHERABLE GRAPHIC NOVEL, much like the similarly CODED work of CHILEAN filmmaker ALEJANDRO JODOROWSKY.  although i didnt understand what i was experiencing, the starkly VIVID ARTWORK of RICKHEIT is the main attraction here, with depictions of HUMANOID beings and VINTAGE CYBERPUNK technology a PLEASURE to envelope ones senses that only adds to the COMPOUNDING MYSTERY of it all.

i cant make heads or tales about what i just read, but that may be an endorsement for some else out there to make a better, more INFORMED attempt than i did.  ive never been on an LSD or DMT PSYCHEDELIC experience so maybe i am severely missing the BIG PICTURE here.  all ears to others' opinions because i am LOST and CONFUSED when it comes to the COCHLEA & EUSTACHIA GRAPHIC NOVEL.

we're living through something of a GOLDEN AGE in the manufacturing of BOUTIQUE GUITAR PEDALS at the moment.  there are several SUCCESSFUL, SMALL and MEDIUM-SIZED, MOM-AND-POP companies across the globe in places like AKRON (OHIO), LANCASTER (PENNSYLVANIA), QUEENS (NEW YORK), ANOKA (MINNESOTA), OKLAHOMA CITY and even NEWCASTLE (AUSTRALIA) making LIMITED-RUN lines of highly EXPRESSIVE and EXPERIMENTAL guitar-based EFFECTS UNITS that AESTHETICALLY and SONICALLY go far beyond the available fair of old.  this situation is quite INTRIGUING given the RELATIVE SONIC CONSERVATISM and lack of EXPERIMENTATION in MODERN ROCK N ROLL as well as the preponderance of TRADITIONAL BLUES-based purchasing tastes of aging BOOMER GUITAR HOBBYISTS and WEEKEND WARRIOR-types.  you get the feeling that companies like CHASE BLISS AUDIO, OLD BLOOD NOISE ENDEAVORS, EARTHQUAKER DEVICES, KEELEY ELECTRONICS, DEATH BY AUDIO, BEAUTIFUL NOISE EFFECTS and FLOWER PEDALS are more geared towards a NEWER and more OPEN-MINDED GENERATION of MUSICIANS not limited by genre prescriptions or inherited formulas for quality SOUNDS.  technologically, its an exciting time.

what i love about the COLLECTOR//EMITTER YOUTUBE channel is that it uniquely presents and demos NEW PEDALS sans any spoken words.  it is literally all SOUNDS.  as the GUITARIST IAN PRITCHARD (whose day job is a product manager at VOX AMPS) makes his way through the SWITCHES, DIALS and BUTTONS on a given EFFECT UNIT, the listener can hear the EVOLUTION of the SOUND and the sweep of the PARAMETERS at play.  i tend to be more interested in the more REVERB-Y, DRONING and AMBIENT side of things so i've even just put some of these videos on repeat as i sit and read or even write.   i have really come to enjoy it and very much look forward to seeing what NOVEL WEIRD stuff is out there.

if you are a MUSICIAN or PRODUCER interested in AVANT-GARDE SONIC TEXTURES and SOUNDS, this YOUTUBE channel is such a PLEASURABLE experience and quite ESSENTIAL in my opinion.

ever since the ICONIC debut self-titled VAN HALEN (WARNER BROS, 1978) record, VAN HALEN essentially never left the road.  viewed as a CASH COW by their management and record company, the band rarely got time off only a few weeks at a time to WRITE and RECORD new material before the machine started up again and the cycle continued UNABATED.  these intervening FORMULAIC RECORDED EFFORTS at best were RUSH JOBS with songs haphazardly written in the studio and inexplicably included and amongst the track-listing were at least one or two DUBIOUS DAVID LEE ROTH numbers/covers that showcased his BIZARRE, SCHMALTZY and more than a bit rather CORNY VAUDEVILLE-inspired PERSONA.

that is, until their sixth studio release with the 1984 (WARNER BROS, 1984) record.

this was the first time since the debut when EDDIE VAN HALEN basically took control of the RECORDING itself and the PROCESS around it.  thus it has the distinction of being a LANDMARK album, along with the debut, and as the last recorded effort (during their PRIME) with ROTH's involvement.  the behind-the-scenes turmoil that brought about this POWER PLAY is best captured by the late FORMER VAN HALEN manager NOEL E. MONK in his biography RUNNIN' WITH THE DEVIL (linked HERE), but the basics of it was that EDDIE after years of subservience, learned of his leverage and basically forced all parties to capitulate.  the new material showcased this EXPANDED SONIC APPROACH that included a PRONOUNCED SYNTHESIZER SOUND on tracks like the opener "1984" and "JUMP."  arguably the highlights of the record are the INTRICATE and HARD-DRIVING "PANAMA" and "HOT FOR TEACHER" tracks which are as HIGH-ENERGY and PROPULSIVE as anything in the VAN HALEN catalogue.

the thing that stands out to me about 1984 is the VERSATILITY of EDDIE's COMPOSITION chops as well as TECHNICAL MUSICIANSHIP.  by this point in his career, EDDIE had long been CELEBRATED as a VIRTUOSO GUITAR PLAYER of the first order, a place even posthumously decades later he still very much holds with the likes of JIMI HENDRIX, STEVIE RAY VAUGHN, JIMMY PAGE, CHUCK BERRY, JEFF BECK and PRINCE in the PANTHEON of GUITAR GREATS.  but as a COMPOSER he was severely UNDERRATED and UNDER-APPRECIATED due to his GUITAR INNOVATIONS.  the fact that EDDIE was as GIFTED a PIANIST as he was a GUITARIST is something that is on OBVIOUS display in 1984 and was something of an ARTISTIC risk to employ since his fanbase were UNINTERESTED in such relative to his GUITAR PLAYING.  its INTERESTING to consider that some bands (ALICE IN CHAINS, INCUBUS, WEEN, DEFTONES) make DRASTIC sonic decisions early in their career that allow them ARTISTIC latitude with their fanbase thereafter while others make mid-career adjustments (METALLICA, GREEN DAY) to differing responses.  i think 1984 was a shock to fans because of their previous recorded output and how it never implied the new trajectory 1984 implied.  as great as VAN HALEN was, it makes you consider the heights they would have climbed if EDDIE had wrestled control sooner and pushed forward with his VISION instead of being effectively stymied by the business forces around.

one can only wonder.  otherwise VAN HALEN's 1984 is an absolutely ESSENTIAL record.  definitely worth checking out.

there have been so many GREAT bands historically with siblings in their lineups from OASIS, VAN HALEN, NO DOUBT, THE KINKS, SPARKS, DEVO, RADIOHEAD, STONE TEMPLE PILOTS, PANTERA and AC/DC to more recent INDIE acts like THE CRIBS, FIRST AID KIT and EISLEY.  but only since i recently became aware of the STELLAR ENGLISH ALTERNATIVE ROCK band MARMOZETS did i ever know of a band with two sets of siblings (at least in their original lineup).

what i like about MARMOZETS is that their RHYTHM section has an especially AGGRESSIVE and  ANGULAR feel for METER and SPACE, which is almost GANG OF FOUR-esque, that is being grounded by singer BECCA MACINTYRE and her CONFRONTATIONAL persona.  she is just out front and IN-YOUR-FACE a la all the great PUNK and POST PUNK vocalists of yesteryear from POLY STYRENE, ALICE BAG and SIOUXSIE SIOUX to KIM GORDON, JOAN JETT and KATHLEEN HANNA.  im always amazed at the resonant power of a STELLAR lead singer in transforming a band to another level.  such is the case with MARMOZETS, whatever the current iteration.

definitely worth checking out.

parodies by nacrowe

what i appreciate about the BRITISH singer-songwriter PJ HARVEY is how with each successive release she challenges herself and by extension her audience in seeking out NEW SONIC TERRITORY through EXPERIMENTING and incorporating DISPARATE TEXTURES, UNIQUE INSTRUMENTATION and OBSCURE GENRE ELEMENTS into her EVER-EVOLVING SOUND.  much like her musical contemporaries in BJORK, MIKE PATTON, BECK, KATE BUSH, JOSH HOMME, DAVID BOWIE and NICK CAVE, each album is its own AURAL EXPERIENTIAL JOURNEY.  in her case she has run the artistic gamut in terms of GENRES from DISSONANT NOISE ROCK, DELICATE ENGLISH FOLK MUSIC, CEREBRAL ART ROCK and DOWN-AND-NASTY PUNK BLUES.

my introduction to her work was through her MUSCULAR SONGS FROM THE CITY, SONGS FROM THE SEA (ISLAND, 2000) album that found her PAEAN to all things NEW YORK CITY firmly rooted in the AMERICAN ALTERNATIVE ROCK tradition of recent years.  i was living in KUWAIT at the time and was going through my father's record collection when i found this and several other of her albums.  this one hit the hardest given the EMOTIONAL POWER of her expressed ROMANTIC longing and INTERNAL CONFUSION on MASSIVE tracks like "BIG EXIT," "KAMIKAZE," "A PLACE CALLED HOME," "THIS IS LOVE" and "GOOD FORTUNE."  to me that album is the very soundtrack to own my personal EXPERIENTIAL UNDERSTANDING of the HECTIC ENERGY and CONFUSED BEAUTY of living in the big city.  just that one opening line itself off of "THIS IS LOVE" in which HARVEY opines that she "can't believe life is so complex / when i just want to sit here and watch you undress" really hits home at that OPPORTUNISTIC sense of VOYEURISTIC INTIMACY that comes with finding CONNECTION in an ENVIRONMENT so seemingly DISORDERED, FRANTIC and RANDOM.  that ENERGY cant help but creep into your very PSYCHE, as if you are watching yourself play out and access aspects of yourself that could never happen in a smaller setting where everyone knows you.

my FORMATIVE years were spent running around between literal hemispheres were dramatically DIFFERENT and NOVEL CULTURAL, SOCIAL and GEOGRAPHIC CONTEXTS and PERSPECTIVES were being thrown my way with seeming clockwork regularity.  im still recovering form such an EXPERIENCE and gathering my bearings about who i am now, here, in this MOMENT.  to me the CREATIVE WORK of HARVEY is the musical accompaniment to what has to be a very PERSONAL JOURNEY to understand aspects of herself and her gift.  as a listener i feel PRIVILEGED to be able to glean off of her CRAFT and the hardship that went into its creation.  in that sense she is like a beaming lighthouse to those of us perilously drifting off at sea.  her CRAFT is a gift that i deeply cherish and very much look forward to each new release.

embedded below is a recent DEER GOD RADIO episode on nonprofit internet radio station MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC that includes a playlist celebrating the catalogue of the SINGULAR ENGLISH SONGWRITER PJ HARVEY.  enjoy!

RUBBER SOUL (PARLOPHONE, 1965) is often attributed as being the specific release where THE BEATLES took a critical step forward in terms of their SONGWRITING and sonic production that very much cleared the way for later ARTISTIC and CONCEPTUAL INNOVATIONS, most famously on much CELEBRATED subsequent releases such as REVOLVER (PARLOPHONE, 1966) and SGT. PEPPER'S LONELY HEARTS CLUB BAND (PARLOPHONE, 1967).  done were SONGS dealing with the BOY-MEETS-GIRL THEMATIC cul-de-sac that marked the first era of the band and in its stead were more lyrically SOPHISTICATED and OPAQUE (no doubt influenced by FOLK singer-songwriter BOB DYLAN) takes on LIFE, LOVE and the nature of EXISTENCE.

far and away my FAVORITE track, both as a child and as an adult, is "NOWHERE MAN" and its EXISTENTIAL EXPLORATION of feeling ISOLATED and SEPARATE from SOCIETY and HUMANITY writ large.  i can only imagine what JOHN LENNON was going through when composing and conceiving those LYRICS, having been bombarded with CELEBRITY CULTURE and loss of ANONYMITY for years at this point.  its so lyrically MOURNFUL yet strangely MELODIC and UPLIFTING that you wonder if it is a PERSONAL FANTASY to go back to being a relative unknown.

"NORWEGIAN WOOD," "GIRL," "YOU WON'T SEE ME" and "IF I NEEDED SOMEONE" are all intimate and decidedly MATURE LOVE SONGS that deal with the maintaining of said AFFECTION and CONNECTION past the initial MUTUAL INFATUATION phase.  for years the band relied on SONGS that were essentially lyrically seducing their AUDIENCE, but this go around you get the sense that they actually wanted to write AUTHENTIC and HONEST MATERIAL of the more ARDUOUS and therefore REWARDING aspects of RELATIONSHIPS and how they naturally develop over time, with all the HOPE, OPTIMISM, INTIMACY and RISK involved.

"DRIVE MY CAR" is another CHILDHOOD favorite of mine, since i was always game for a GREAT SONG about cars, going back to my UNAVOIDABLE CULTURAL EXPOSURE in SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA to the BEACH BOYS catalogue.  its just a CLASSIC PAUL MCCARTNEY-penned POP song with TERRIFIC HARMONIES and a PROPULSIVE GROOVE that makes it a case study in QUALITY BEATLES SONG-CRAFT.

for some admirers and critics the highlight of this collection of SONGS was "IN MY LIFE" and its BITTERSWEET retrospective LENNON-penned LYRICS about years and EXPERIENCES long gone by from some FUTURE PERSPECTIVE.  i have always been a big fan of LENNON's VOICE, especially when he is reaching slightly outside of his HIGH BARITONE range, which is on full display on this emotively AFFECTING track.  even knowing full well that he never was allowed the opportunity to live long enough into his golden years to inhabit this PERSPECTIVE, the SONG is a master stroke in IMAGINATIVE PROJECTION and his ability to reduce COMPLICATED feelings into perfect SIMPLIFIED POP MELODIES.  about that, apparently this is one of the few SONGS that both LENNON and MCCARTNEY contested that they authored the MELODY.  we will never know, but in a sense it doesnt matter.  we all benefit from its very EXISTENCE and manifested influence over the WORLD and the rest of their CATALOGUE.

it goes without saying that RUBBER SOUL is an ESSENTIAL landmark release by a SEMINAL band who have no peer.  definitely recommended and absolutely worth checking out.

the conversation surrounding the ETHICS involved in APPROPRIATIVE ART is a CONTENTIOUS and CONTROVERSIAL subject.  look no further than that APOCHRYPHAL PABLO PICASSO line "good artists borrow, great artists steal" that gets at the heart of the matter, which is that when it comes to ART, like LOVE and WAR, there are essentially no rules.  to the contrary, the amalgamation and interweaving of IDEAS into new FORMS and CONTEXTS is arguably how the CULTURE propels itself forward.

no doubt that was the ETHOS of CELEBRATED POP ARTIST ROY LICHTENSTEIN when he appropriated the CREATIVE WORK of largely UNKNOWN mid-century COMIC BOOK ILLUSTRATORS into has large-scale canvases.  like ANDY WARHOL, he was involved in the process of identification and selection forwarded by DADA artist MARCEL DUCHAMP in which something COMMON, TRIVIAL and usually UTILITARIAN in value gets plucked from effective OBSCURITY to be transformed into high ART.  WARHOL chose CAMPBELL soup cans and BRILLO pad boxes as EMBLEMATIC of a NEW VISIAL LANGUAGE and AESTHETIC surrounding CONSUMERIST concepts like manufactured desirability.  in the post-war period, this IDEA of taking a DUCHAMPIAN eye for TRANSFORMATIVE selection unto MASS MARKETED PRODUCTS and ADVERTISEMENT CAMPAIGNS was NOVEL and REVOLUTIONARY.  likewise, LICHTENSTEIN was transforming these DISCARDABLE COMIC BOOK panels, the argument goes, into something else entirely.  that ART of DUCHAMPIAN selection placed them in an entirely NEW CONTEXT and in front of an DIFFERENT AUDIENCE for a DIFFERENT PURPOSE.

this CONCEPT is lost in the recent WHAAM! BLAM! ROY LICHTENSTEIN AND THE ART OF APPROPRIATION (VIRGIL FILMS, 2023) documentary, which has a more common REDUCTIVE view of the situation in which exploited COMIC BOOK ARTISTS like HY EISMAN and RUSS HEATH had some of their CREATIVE WORK repurposed with no attribution, acknowledgement or payment as the OBSCURE source of said PAINTINGS.  legally no payment is due to them since they dont own the rights to their WORK, as it is understood that the firm they worked for held the copyrights and thus the standing to sue LICHTENSTEIN back in the day.  which they didnt since the potential earnings from said litigation was NOMINAL at best in the 1960s.  that these LIMITED PAINTINGS are now highly SOUGHT-AFTER by global billionaire class and now go for hundreds of millions of dollars each at auction is IMMATERIAL. 

but it all does ring more than a bit UNFAIR.  at least to EISMAN and HEATH who are on limited fixed incomes late in life and in some cases use CHARITABLE services to get by from an INDUSTRY that saw them as common CRAFTMEN and not ARTISTS in their own right.  its a different story these days regarding common practices in publishing with many ILLUSTRATORS retaining control of their WORK and licensing it to for a limited period to publishing houses.  you most definitely feel for EISMAN and HEATH and the manner in which they were essentially rendered MUTE and INVISIBLE by both the COMIC BOOK INDUSTRY and the legal system at large, but in a WEIRD sense this film, based on the scholarly work of DAVID BARSALOU of the DECONSTRUCTING LICHTENSTEIN website (linked HERE), is a PERMANENT testament to their contributions to the work of LICHTENSTEIN.  this film is that awaited credit and attribution, not by the ARTIST himself (who passed in 1997), but by the COMMUNITY itself.

at least that counts for something in this CAUTIONARY tale.

you always got the feeling with COMEDIC LEGEND DON RICKLES that his ABRASIVE shtick wasnt entirely MEAN-SPIRITED, but rather counterintuitively WHOLESOME and done with some semblance of LOVE and EMPATHY.  it was as if poking fun at a CELEBRITY or a NO-NAME paying customer was an act of intimacy as if to suggest that we are all stronger than we give often ourselves credit for.  that our INDIVIDUAL INSECURITIES and INTERNAL SELF-DOUBTS can be transcended, even when provoked upon in a public setting.  at least that was the just i got from reading his consciously unimaginatively titled memoir RICKLES' BOOK (SIMON & SCHUSTER, 2007).

i say this because the whole book is a testament to his LOVE of FAMILY and FRIENDS.  first and foremost, as the only son of two WORKING-CLASS LITHUANIAN JEWISH immigrants, RICKLES pays tributes to his PARENTS MAX and ETTA and the childhood he had in JACKSON HEIGHTS.  his FATHER PASSED AWAY PRE-FAME and his MOTHER was the driving force of his career, tirelessly networking and advocating on his behalf and her support knew no limits.  then there is his WIFE BARBARA and the FAMILY they created.  probably the most INTRIGUING RELATIONSHIPS presented here to fans of RICKLES would be those of FRANK SINATRA, BOB NEWHART, JOHNNY CARSON, ED SULLIVAN, BOB HOPE and DEAN MARTIN.  its a UNIQUE perspective on a generation of COMEDY that is pretty removed from today's ELEVATED sense of CULTURAL BOUNDARIES and QUOTE UNQUOTE GOOD TASTE.  two generations ago during the postwar period when LAS VEGAS was in full swing and the country had yet to become divided by RELEVANT and LONG-POSTPONED debates over RACIAL and GENDER EQUALITY, this cohort of COMEDIANS reigned UNOBSTRUCTED with the world as their oyster.  and they seemingly did it with a sense of CLASS and TASTE that makes their COMEDY somewhat EVERGREEN in nature.

i cant say that such is the same for the INSULT COMEDY that came in the wake of RICKLES in the likes of later generations of COMEDIANS in ANDREW DICE CLAY, SAM KINISON, ANTHONY JESELNIK, GREG GERALDO, BILL BURR, JIM NORTON, COLIN QUINN and ROBERT SMIGEL (i.e. TRIUMPH THE INSULT COMIC DOG) who seemed more concerned with TRANSGRESSIVE SHOCK tactics than projecting any PALPABLE sense of empathy and COMMUNITY.  to me that is the SINGULAR GENIUS and UNIQUE SPIRIT of the COMEDY of RICKLES, that through shared LAUGHTER at our own individual expense came a more familiar feeling of COMMUNITY.  his INSULT COMEDY was INCLUSIVE rather than the more BRASH and ABRASIVE variant we see to day which feels more DIVISIVE and AGGRESSIVE, as if peeling off this layer of one's PERSONA would reveal a more SINISTER, SUBTERRANEAN agenda.  almost like a form of WAR or CHARACTER ASSASSINATION.  you look at those two cohorts of COMEDIC GENERATIONS and you can see where we have traversed as a CULTURE.  not to say that such is NEGATIVE, since one may be more HONEST and AUTHENTIC than the other, but it is INTRIGUING nonetheless to consider.

RICKLES' BOOK is pretty plainly written for a MASS AUDIENCE and does its job of position RICKLES in terms he appreciates relative to his FRIENDS and FAMILY, but i am interested in the book that really dives into his backstory and how his personal narrative intertwined with the changing tides of AMERICAN COMEDY and POPULAR CULTURE throughout his long career.  especially during the 1960s.  understandably such was effectively glossed over here since such was not the purpose of this book.  but that is the narrative i hope to read someday.  this book is perfectly SERVICEABLE but not recommended unless you are a true HARDCORE RICKLES fanatic.

parodies by nacrowe

check out HERE this recent streaming video episode of DEER GOD RADIO  celebrating the LEGENDARY TEXAN ROCK N ROLL institution that is ZZ TOP!
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​​past episodes of DEER GOD RADIO are available here at the DEER GOD website as well as in the MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC archives.

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lets get this out right from the jump.  CREED is a JOKE.

they likely will go down in musical history, fairly or unfairly, as the poster children for why the term POST-GRUNGE is very much permanently a PEJORATIVE.  they are critically viewed at best as DERIVATIVE of other way more TALENTED bands (ALICE IN CHAINS, PEARL JAM, SOUNDGARDEN, etc.) and at worst CAREER OPPORTUNISTS with unmistakeable EVANGELICAL overtones that opened the door for a flood of unimaginably SHITTY bands in the late 90s and early 2000s with REDUCTIVE DEEP-VOICED, BARREL-CHESTED,  AGGRESSIVELY MASCULINE singers from FUEL, HINDER, BUCKCHERRY, SALIVA, TRAPT, FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH, GODSMACK, PUDDLE OF MUDD and, of course, NICKELBACK.  the legacy of CREED is that for a period they muddied the waters enough in the music industry that those TERRIBLE bands and their ilk passed as ACCEPTABLE to mainstream rock radio.  so there you go, i got all of that out of the way.

my introduction to the FLORIDIAN ALTERNATIVE ROCK band CREED was back in high school when i entered a boarding school in NEW ENGLAND in the fall of 1998.  it was my freshman year and part of the deal was that every student was provided a personal laptop.  at some point during the first semester this kid down the hall who was tech savvy clued everyone into this file called an 'MP3' that allowed you to download and save music on your computer.  this was years before the first IPOD was released.  i distinctly remember this classmate taking me to a fan website for some emerging band called CREED, where you could play their recent debut album MY OWN PRISON (WIND-UP, 1997) just by clicking one of these MP3 files after downloading some software called QUICKTIME.  its all laughably PRIMITIVE now in this modern age of streaming, but back then this was REVOLUTIONARY.  and i'll never forget that CREED was the first band i heard in this new manner.

at the time i felt like the band was not TERRIBLE.  their guitarist, id later learn to be MARK TREMONTI, obviously knew his way around a MEMORABLE arpeggiated ALTERNATIVE ROCK RIFF and the songs themselves were PLEASANT enough with a sense of STRUCTURED DYNAMICS, especially on tracks such "TORN," "ONE," "WHAT'S THIS LIFE FOR" and the title track "MY OWN PRISON."  even in retrospect i think those songs compositionally are more SOPHISTICATED than fellow POST-GRUNGE peers in the like-wise CRITICALLY-DERIDED SEETHER, SWITCHFOOT, BREAKING BENJAMIN, CHEVELLE and STAIND.  only when the much SUPERIOR ALTER BRIDGE (made up in part with CREED's rhythm section) came about years later with the UBER-GIFTED WASHINGTON STATE-based frontman / singer-songwriter MILES KENNEDY, would people recognize TREMONTI as a LEGITIMATE CREATIVE FORCE.  much like LIMP BIZKIT, MEGADETH or MOTLEY CRUE before them, CREED's weak point was undoubtedly their lead singer SCOTT STAPP.  on MY OWN PRISON the LAME CHRISTIAN IMAGERY and blatant RELIGIOSITY is somewhat held in check relative to later releases, but in terms of TONE and PRESENTATION, he seems to be comically aping that of fellow FLORIDIAN JIM MORRISON.  even at the time i kept thinking that this dude is a total jock POSEUR with no real perspective or sense of IDENTITY outside of cliched and pathetically GENERIC CHRISTIAN-influenced ideated fantasies surrounding a simplistically BINARY good-versus-evil WORLDVIEW.  its obvious his deep EDDIE VEDDER-esque VOICE, which sadly passed for TALENT (and unfortunately set the standard in the market), and not his LYRICAL IDEAS were his selling point.

lyrically the GREAT ALTERNATIVE ROCK bands seemed to be dancing in this psychic zone where morality is complicated and truth is relative.  that was what made listening to ALICE IN CHAINS, NIRVANA, SOUNDGARDEN and SCREAMING TREES on a LYRICAL level so COMPELLING since you very much got the sense that you were riding shotgun to a deep exploration of LAYNE STALEY / KURT COBAIN / CHRIS CORNELL / MARK LANEGAN's innermost FEARS, ADDICTIONS, FRAILITIES and PERSONAL FAILURES.  with STAPP you are denied that and instead is this FACSIMILE in TONE but TOTAL COP-OUT in terms of CONTENT.  this proclivity for VAPID and knuckle-draggingly HORRENDOUS CHRISTIAN-themed lyrics would only grow WORSE on successive releases which sadly became very popular.

but the first album is relatively not that bad. it is also not that great either.  its just meh and sadly that was the peak of my initial interest in the band.  in short order they quickly became a JOKE.  i wouldnt recommend MY OWN PRISON or any of their records, but would point for someone interested in POST GRUNGE to skip that genre and just search out REAL ALTERNATIVE ROCK bands like ALICE IN CHAINS, MELVINS, SCREAMING TREES, NIRVANA, MUDHONEY, SOUNDGARDEN, PEARL JAM and even STONE TEMPLE PILOTS for actual context.  after that they can pursue the LACKLUSTER IMITATORS and CHARLATANS that came directly after to their hearts delight.

where i work there is always this LAME MUZAK being played nonstop for hours on end in a loop that is more than a bit AGGRAVATING, DEHUMANIZING and just plain DEMORALIZING in retrospect.  thats why i try to be in the back of the place with some of the workers from places like COLOMBIA and the DOMINICAN REPUBLIC who blast out CUMBIA, SON and SALSA MUSIC, and basically just party while getting work done.  its that UPLIFTING and INFECTIOUS RHYTHMIC FLOW that made me thing about the ONGOING ONDATROPICA project by MARIO GALEANO (of FRENTE CUMBIERO) and LONDON DJ WILL HOLLAND (of QUANTIC) that essentially celebrates COLOMBIAN MUSIC with over 35 MUSICIANS participating.

both of their albums ONDATROPICA (SOUNDWAY, 2012) and BAILE BUCANERO (SOUNDWAY, 2016) are the types of records you just put on and float away down the line with a pop in your step.  ive been LUCKY enough to have visited COLOMBIA twice and experienced some of their MUSIC in person, and it is essentially just FUN exemplified.  ONDATROPICA is an introduction into that RICH MUSICAL and CULTURAL TRADITION and is most definitely worth checking out.

parodies by nacrowe

even in the MODERN pantheon of TRANSCENDENT SONGWRITERS, that undoubtedly includes the likes of JOHN LENNON / PAUL MACCARTNEY, TRENT REZNOR, MARVIN GAYE, COLE PORTER, NEIL YOUNG, DOLLY PARTON, STEVIE WONDER, MORRISSEY / JOHNNY MARR, Q-TIP, DAVID BOWIE, JOHNNY CASH, RAY CHARLES, CAROL KING, SAM COOKE, PRINCE and BOB DYLAN, in my opinion LOU REED still very much remains unquestionably atop such PROMINENT company.  its one thing to be technically PROFICIENT or ever VIRTUOSIC on an instrument, with the required PHYSICAL DEXTERITY and coordination to pull off COMPLICATED sequences.  it is another entirely to have the EMOTIONAL CAPACITY and IMAGINATIVE ABILITY to translate musical ideas, BASIC or ADVANCED, into FORMS that touch and heal the soul.  for some reason people confuse the two and it is MADDENING.

in my mind, the SONGWRITING of REED is more of a PERSPECTIVE or an EXPERIENCE rather than a catalogue of songs, very much like great ART, CINEMA or LITERATURE transcends its MEDIUM into that of a HIGHER realm of CONCEPTS, MOODS and FEELINGS.  undoubtedly part of that urge to create is about the need to ESCAPE, and all of those aforementioned SONGWRITERS did such to one degree or another, but with REED it very much feels he used ESCAPISM as a TOOL to cut deeper and expose in HARSH, COLD, BRUTAL detail the UNSPOKEN, HARROWING aspects of the HUMAN CONDITION.  the CRUELTY, the LONELINESS, the very ABSURDITY of life.  when i think of REED i think of that. 

that and NEW YORK CITY. 

never has a SONGWRITER been so singularly identified with a specific location and representative of the both the SEEDY and CELEBRATED aspects of society therein, from IMPATIENT FIENDS waiting for their heroin connect on a corner in SPANISH HARLEM, to UNDERGROUND ARTISTS and their SYCOPHANTIC underlings in the MEAT PACKING DISTRICT to ASPIRATIONAL TRANSVESTITE ACTRESSES in the LOWER EAST SIDE.  it goes on and his eye for detail and EMPATHY is what shines through, even when the subject is coarse and unflinchingly REAL.  its that INTEGRITY and AUTHENTICITY of his VOICE and his words that transcend his songs, similarly to DYLAN, from ROCK N ROLL lyrics to VERITABLE POETRY.  to my taste DYLAN was more interested in the finer aspects of AMERICAN FOLK MUSIC traditions and his WORLDVIEW is emblematic of such, whereas REED is more about juxtaposing EXPERIMENTAL sounds (of the STRAIGHTFORWARD, DISSONANT, COMPLEX and/or INCOHERENT varieties) with the EMOTIONAL STRUGGLE, SPIRITUAL PLIGHT and EXISTENTIAL DREAD of MODERN URBAN LIFE.

i hear aspects of REED in all sorts of HIP HOP, especially with regards to that PALPABLE sense of the STRUGGLE to become something GREATER.  the music itself is a collection of found parts that in concert create something more emotionally RESONANT.  it is the very MUSICAL EXPRESSION of the LYRICAL CONTENT, which is striving to REINTERPRET, REPURPOSE and RE-CONTEXTUALIZE a DEGRADED, DIMINISHED and societally DISMISSED LIVED EXPERIENCE into that of an ELEVATED CONSCIOUSNESS to help uplift communities.  i believe REED was on that tip with his HONESTY and ability to EFFECTIVELY communicate REALITY.  he wasnt attempting to inspire through falsehoods, but UNVARNISHED, close-up looks into the mirror of our collective improprieties.

REST IN PEACE LOU REED.

embedded below is a recent DEER GOD RADIO episode on nonprofit internet radio station MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC that includes a playlist celebrating the catalogue of the LEGENDARY NEW YORK SONGWRITER LOU REED.  enjoy!

FEVER IN FEVER OUT (GRAND ROYAL, 1996) was such a MASSIVE album and i can personally attest that the single "NAKED EYE" was absolutely INESCAPABLE at the time.  in fact it was practically the soundtrack to my freshman year of high school and the WONDERFUL memories of being bullied mercilessly at an ELITE NEW ENGLAND boarding school.  i can only imagine the whirlwind of attention and expectation that followed suit for the band, who previously enjoyed a more stable UNDERGROUND reputation as a THOUGHTFUL and musically SOPHISTICATED, UPBEAT NEW YORK CITY ALTERNATIVE ROCK band with an URBAN, infectiously DANCEABLE SOUND and AESTHETIC and personal ties to the BEASTIE BOYS (KATE SHELLENBACH was their original DRUMMER).  by the time the follow-up ELECTRIC HONEY (GRAND ROYAL, 1999) came around three years later, the four-piece became a three-piece with the AMICABLE departure of founding KEYBOARDIST VIVIAN TRIMBLE, who grew weary of life on the road and understandably wanted to stay more attuned to life back in NEW YORK CITY.

although ELECTRIC HONEY in comparison a bit more sonically STRIPPED-BACK with less of an emphasis on outright GROOVE, what takes its place of prominence in the mix is the GORGEOUS interplay of sung VOCAL HARMONIES, especially during CHORUSES, between JILL CUNNIFF and GABBY GLASER.  it seems obvious that the line-up shift influenced this new emphasis on a hidden aspect of their SOUND that was their all along, but on songs like "CHRISTINE" and "LADYFINGERS"  really make that point all too apparent.  that is not to say they abandoned their SOUND as CONTAGIOUS, almost neo-DISCO numbers like "SUMMER DAZE" and "NERVOUS BREAKTHROUGH" as well as more SHOEGAZE-y, hypnotically HAZY tracks like "ALIEN LOVER" and "SEXY HYPNOTIST" will attest.  while there is no single with the UNFORESEEN widespread appeal of "NAKED EYE" hidden in its midst of ELECTRIC HONEY, i'd argue its track-listing is more sonically VARIED than past releases.  so many STRONG songs.

until their reunion a decade and a half later, this would be the final recorded effort of their initial run.  the BEASTIE BOYS' owned GRAND ROYAL label that released their three major releases followed suit two years later.  it was the end of an era.  to me LUSCIOUS JACKSON is one of those singularly ECLECTIC bands that could only come from a DIVERSE place like NEW YORK CITY.  their music just inherently had that UNIQUE PULSE and SENSIBILITY that comes with  walking down a crowded street in the city and cacophony of OVERLAPPING MUSICAL STYLES being thrown your way from apartments, stores, cell phones and subway ghetto-blasters.  two decades later that GENRE-LESS MINDSET is arguably adopted by most MODERN MUSICIANS that grew up on STREAMING MUSIC and instant access to everything at the touch of a button.  i feel like LUSCIOUS JACKSON in that respect were well ahead of their time and ELECTRIC HONEY, much as its immediate predecessor FEVER IN FEVER OUT, are ESSENTIAL listening.  most definitely worth checking out.

RIP VIVIAN TRIMBLE

as a film minor in college, i came to learn and explore EXPLOITATION FILMS via DIRECTORS from the 1960s and 70s like RUSS MEYER (FASER PUSSYCAT! KILL! KILL!), JOHN WATERS (PINK FLAMINGOS, FEMALE TROUBLE) and JACK HILL (COFFY, FOXY BROWN, SPIDER BABY) among others.  i paid particular attention to most every genre with the exception of one: HORROR.  which is probably why i was a late bloomer to the FOUNDATIONAL cinematic work of WILLIAM CASTLE and his REVOLUTIONARY MARKETING and GIMMICK-LADEN PROMOTIONAL EFFORTS in support of such throughout the 1950s and 60s.  more MASTER PROMOTIONAL MANIPULATOR and CARNIVAL-BARKING SALESMAN than FILM AUTEUR, the life of CASTLE is lovingly recounted and contextualized by his peers, coworkers, followers and family in the recent documentary SPINE TINGLER! THE WILLIAM CASTLE STORY (AUTOMAT, 2007).

for those that are UNFAMILIAR with the term, EXPLOITATION FILMS were B-MOVIE MOTION PICTURES brazenly devised in order to take advantage of an ongoing trend or current event with often SENSATIONALIZED PLOTS and absolutely SHAMELESS use of GIMMICKRY.  back in the day films were often showcased as DOUBLE FEATURES, with the FEATURE FILM being the big-actor, WELL-PRODUCED MARQUEE FILM and the B-MOVIE a more EXPLOITATIVE, CHEAPER, often LESS SOPHISTICATED film shown as an opener.  there are so many sub-genres of such that have arisen since the 1950s that include everything form SEXPLOITATION, BLAXPLOITATION, SURFER FILMS, BIKER MOVIES, THRILLERS, WOMEN-PRISON-FILMS and so on.  although not widely considered as such these days due to their perennial popularity, HORROR FILMS is itself an EXPLOITATION sub-genre. their HOOK or GIMMICK is that they are going after a demographic that specifically seeks the experience of being FRIGHTENED.  and CASTLE, much like ALFRED HITCHCOCK (whose FILMS are often tagged with the more ESTEEMED title of SUSPENSE), recognized such early on in the game.  it should be noted that the EXPLOITATION tag is not a DEROGATORY epithet by an stretch of the imagination, as JOHN WATERS even explains in the FILM, as all FILMS are in essence EXPLOITATIVE in some regard.

CASTLE was born in NEW YORK CITY but became an OPHAN during his adolescence, which undoubtedly affected his sense of IDENTITY for the rest of his life, especially with regards to the DEVASTATING potential for loss with regards to success and family.  his need for attention, validation and glamour found him interested in THEATER and he fought and crawled his way into working on BROADWAY as a STAGE MANAGER where he became a peer of ORSON WELLES.  through the WELLES connection he was given a venue outside of the city where he put on a play he devised for a recently arrived GERMAN actress.  this actress was called back to GERMANY shortly before WWII and CASTLE manipulated the PRESS twice to PROMOTE his production.  the first was that he told them (falsely) that he wrote a letter to ADOLF HITLER stating that he would not allow his star to return home and the second was that he told the PRESS that he would not stop production in the face of recent NAZI graffiti plastered all over the front of the THEATER (apparently done by CASTLE himself).  the PROPAGANDANDIZED PUBLICITY drew ENORMOUS crowds to the largely LACKLUSTER production.  this ability to manipulate the PRESS was CASTLE's ace in the hole as a PRODUCER and served him well throughout his later FILM CAREER and is a major part of his continued LEGACY.

​upon arrival in LOS ANGELES, CASTLE worked under the wing of the universally REVILED, FEARED and RESPECTED head of COLUMBIA PICTURES, HARRY COHN.  he worked his way up to B-MOVIE DIRECTOR where he specialized in making ON-BUDGET, ON-SCHEDULE FILMS of DUBIOUS quality that made MONEY.  such a BANKABLE reputation as an EFFICIENT OPERATOR is not a negative in the least, but is what you want in a B-MOVIE DIRECTORS from the studio's perspective.  under the STUDIO SYSTEM, proven DIRECTORS that could flourish given LIMITED BUDGETS worked their way up to making FEATURES.  CASTLE was so good at it that he basically stayed at that level.  during this period he found and bought the rights to a PROPERTY he thought would help him transition to FEATURES, a MYSTERY PULP novel by RAYMOND SHERWOOD KING entitled IF I DIE BEFORE I WAKE (ACE BOOKS, 1938).  unfortunately COHN optioned it from CASTLE and made it the next RITA HAYWORTH-fronted WELLES project THE LADY FROM SHANGHAI (COLUMBIA, 1947), now very much considered a FILM NOIR classic.  eventually he left the studio and went INDEPENDENT and made a two LEGENDARY HORROR FILMS, MACABRE (WILLIAM CASTLE PRODUCTIONS, 1958) and HOUSE ON HAUNTED HILL (WILLIAM CASTLE PRODUCTIONS, 1959) that garnered him fame and FINANCIAL SUCCESS before COLUMBIA PICTURES came back and backed his work thereafter.

the reason this COLLABORATIVE arrangement with COLUMBIA PICTURES worked was that as PRODUCER, SCREENWRITER and DIRECTOR of his own FILMS, CASTLE controlled his productions and made everything on a SHOESTRING BUDGET and devised a series of GIMMICKY promotional campaigns aimed at kids that reaped in a FINANCIAL WINDFALL.  these GIMMICKS included buzzers on seats (THE TINGLER), INSURANCE POLICIES collectible upon DEATH by next of kin from FRIGHT in THEATER (MACABRE), INFLATABLE SKELETONS flying in on wires across MOVIE SCREENS (HOUSE ON HAUNTED HILL), MONEY-BACK GUARANTEES and so on.  it was a DIFFERENT era in the 1950s that basically ended with the collective loss of national innocence when JFK was ASSASSINATED in 1963.  shit got real then and CASTLE did other things to DIMINISHING RETURNS throughout the 60s.  in the late 1960s he found another PROPERTY that he bought the rights to that he hoped to utilize as a potential VEHICLE for another attempt to transition to FEATURES as a DIRECTOR but was again conned by PARAMOUNT PICTURES this time into relinquishing ROSEMARY'S BABY (PARAMOUNT, 1968) to ROMAN POLANSKI where he stayed on as a PRODUCER.  this was basically his last hurrah as the 1970s found SLASHER B-MOVIES come into fashion that were more EXPLICIT and BRUTAL in nature to his decidedly OUTMODED HORROR FILMS of the 1950s and early 1960s.

his CINEMATIC LEGACY is one of innovation in terms of bridging the fourth wall with his audience and providing a SHOWMAN's GOOD-NATURED human touch to his productions.  both JOHN WATERS and ROGER CORMAN participated in this documentary and attest to the power of such PROMOTIONAL TACTICS in their own work.  the TRAGEDY of it all is that CASTLE had a deep need to prove himself worthy of LOVE and AFFECTION and those GIMMICKS were utilized long after his name became recognized on the MARQUEE and were unneeded.  the potential for the loss of such ADORATION by his audience and his family alike was the REAL FEAR that drove and defined his life.  the documentary is a testament that such worry was UNWARRANTED given the ENDURING APPEAL and influence of his FILMS on a whole swath of FILM IRECTORS raised on EXPLOITATION FILMS from throughout the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s of which his name is undoubtedly at the vanguard of.

that CASTLE DIED not knowing such LOVE and AFFECTION existed on his behalf is much SCARIER than any haunted house or VOLATILE axe-wielding psychopath.