photo manipulation & text by nacrowe
when the ICONIC NEW JERSEY METALCORE outfit THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN and their legendarily VOLATILE and UNPREDICTABLE live show decided to call it officially quits in 2017, pretty much everyone in the broader METAL scene was awaiting to hear what new projects followed suit shortly thereafter for the FORMER MEMBERS. somewhat expectedly, GUITARIST BEN WEINMAN joined LONG BEACH CROSSOVER THRASH veterans SUICIDAL TENDENCIES, BASSIST LIAM WILSON joined the SWEDISH MELODIC DEATH METAL band IN FLAMES, and DRUMMER BILLY RYMER joined fellow NEW JERSEY PUNK RAP duo HO99O9.
against type and arguably most intriguingly, BALTIMORE-based FORMER THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN VOCALIST GREG PUCIATO joined forces with NEW ORLEANS-based MULTI-INSTRUMENTALIST, COMPOSER, PROGRAMMER and all around ELECTRONIC MUSIC WIZARD JOSH EUSTIS (TELEFON TEL AVIV, NINE INCH NAILS, PUSCIFER, BLACK LIGHT BURNS) to form the LOS ANGELES-based SYTHWAVE project THE BLACK QUEEN. this project provides a new UNFAMILIAR SONIC CONTEXT and set expectations surrounding PUCIATO's EMOTIVE range as a SINGER. whereas THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN found him matching and even force multiplying the CHAOTIC and MANIC nature of their SKITTISH and abrasively EVER-SHIFTING COMPOSITIONS, THE BLACK QUEEN presents a more DELIBERATE and somewhat TRADITIONAL attempt at MELODY over a LUSH bed of truly CAPTIVATING aural SOUNDSCAPES comprised of SYNTH PADS and other ELECTRONIC SONIC MANIPULATIONS. its truly COMPELLING to witness such a VOICE presented in an UNEXPECTED new light which makes THE BLACK QUEEN very much worth checking out.
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parody by nacrowe
outside the genre and the TRUE BELIEVERS, METAL doesnt really get much respect. thats probably due to the more CARTOONISH ASPECTS of some of its adherents and the THEATRICAL SHOCK TACTICS that the GENRE is stereotypically aligned with. never mind that the same can be more or less be said about most GENRES from CLASSIC RHYTHM & BLUES (SCREAMIN' JAY HAWKINS) to FUNK (PARLIAMENT), CLASSIC ROCK (ALICE COOPER, KISS), PROGRESSIVE ROCK (GENESIS), PUNK ROCK (THE MISFITS) and POP PUNK (GREEN DAY, MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE). for whatever reason, METAL gets lumped in as a GENRE not worthy of admiration or further investigation. dont believe me, think of all the METAL bands not in the ROCK N ROLL HALL OF FAME who meet the basic criteria (albeit i acknowledge that this SAD institution is a PATHETIC last gasp for CULTURAL RELEVANCE by JANN WENNER and his OUTMODED ROLLING STONE publication). here i'll help you out: MOTORHEAD, THIN LIZZY, SLAYER, WHITE ZOMBIE, RONNIE JAMES DIO, PANTERA, MOTLEY CRUE, SOUNDGARDEN, ANTHRAX, MEGADETH and IRON MAIDEN.
to my ears, POST METAL is very much about exploring the EMOTIVE POTENTIAL and EXTREME DYNAMICS embedded in the GENRE. normally VOCALS are either NONEXISTENT or function more as another INSTRUMENT, almost embedded in the mix and not the central focus as found in TRADITIONAL ROCK N ROLL. its cousin in POST ROCK is likewise unconcerned with SONGWRITING CLICHES or audience expectation and is more an INTROSPECTIVE, purely SONIC JOURNEY. its INTRIGUING because i came to learn about POST METAL when seeing ISIS open for TOOL more than a decade ago with my brother. TOOL is almost a GATEWAY DRUG band to the GENRE as they have play in CHALLENGING POLYRHYTHMIC TEMPOS with ODD KEY CHANGES and NONTRADITIONAL SONG STRUCTURES. but at the end of the day they do write SONGS, just very SOPHISTICATED and highly IDIOSYNCRATIC ones. bands like PELICAN, OLD MAN GLOOM, ISIS, A STORM OF LIGHT and RUSSIAN CIRCLES act more as GUIDES along a HARROWING and BRUTAL INSTRUMENTAL JOURNEY that is one step more OBLIQUE and obtusely CINEMATIC than TOOL, just in how the VOCALS function as COMMUNICATORS of PAIN and INTENSE emotion, not concepts. i think for people, i call them IDIOTS, that dont appreciate the GENRE in general POST METAL provides another CONTEXT to appreciate the AURAL POWER, AGGRESSION and PSYCHO-EMOTIVE POTENTIAL of this UNIQUE EVOLUTION of ROCK N ROLL. and i wouldnt have it any other way. embedded below is a recent DEER GOD RADIO episode on nonprofit internet radio station MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC that includes a playlist celebrating POST METAL. enjoy! photo & text by nacrowe
its an ABSOLUTE fool's errand to attempt to summarize the immense LASTING IMPACT that the LEGENDARY JAZZ singer BILLIE HOLIDAY has had on AMERICAN CULTURE writ large. she is almost a FOLK HERO at this point, like PAUL BUNYAN, MOLLY PITCHER, DAVEY CROCKETT or JOHNNY APPLESEED, exemplifying both the strengths of our CULTURE and the DEEP FAULT-LINES of our COLLECTIVE IDENTITY as members of the BROADER AMERICAN COMMUNITY. her INTENSE SUFFERING related to CHILDHOOD TRAUMA, SUBSTANCE ABUSE and SEXUAL VIOLENCE mirrors that of our own generationally UNCHECKED LEGACY regarding such TERRORS.
arguably no record in her catalogue best represents the DAMAGE done by a HARD-FOUGHT and HARD-LIVED life full of STRUGGLE, PAIN and ultimately SURVIVAL than her PENULTIMATE recording session and FINAL release LADY IN SATIN (COLUMBIA, 1958). on tracks such as "I GET ALONG WITHOUT YOU VERY WELL," "YOU'VE CHANGED" and "I'M A FOOL TO WANT YOU" you can hear how WITHERED and HOARSE her VOICE has been rendered, yet there is a STAGGERING BEAUTY and CONFIDENCE that shines through. never a classically PURE VOICE with PERFECT ELOCUTION along the lines of contemporaries like ELLA FITZGERALD or SARAH VAUGHAN, with HOLIDAY her INSTRUMENT was more of an INTUITIVE INTERPRETER of song who could squeeze out every drop of EMOTION, and not in a forced PERFORMATIVE manner, but one informed by REAL PAIN and a sense of PERSONAL STRUGGLE. she somehow INHABITED the songs and effectively TRANSFORMED them to her WILL, not just merely PERFORMING them. such was her GIFT and on LADY IN SATIN you very much feel in your bones that EXCRUCIATING FRICTION that her DIMINUTIVE frame was attempting to extract more from that DEEP well of PASSION, LIVED-EXPERIENCE and SHEER TALENT to increasingly DIMINISHING returns. listening to that record you sense that you are witnessing an EXISTENTIAL BATTLE between one's SOUL and their BODY. the closest analogue i can think of regarding this UNIQUE dynamic are the later HARRY NILSSON recordings like the JOHN LENNON collaboration PUSSY CATS (RCA, 1974) in which the former's VOICE is completely shot from years of ALCOHOL ABUSE. his performance is likewise a showcase for the PHYSICAL TOLL HARD LIVING had ravaged on NILSSON's VOICE and ART, but not his INDOMITABLE SPIRIT. i find LADY IN SATIN DIFFICULT to listen to because of how BEAUTIFUL it is and how COURAGEOUS she was to put herself out there, even in such a HAGGARD and DEBILITATED STATE. its beyond TRAGIC that HOLIDAY only made it to 44. i'd consider this album, like much of her catalogue, required listening and well worth checking out for the UNINITIATED and INITIATED alike.
photo manipulation & text by nacrowe
RENOWNED artist MAX GIMBLETT is an INTRIGUING NEW YORK CITY transplant from NEW ZEALAND who relies on INSTINCT and GESTURAL TECHNIQUE to create his highly EVOCATIVE, MINIMALIST, ABSTRACT PAINTINGS. influenced by TRADITIONAL JAPANESE CALLIGRAPHY and ZEN BUDDHIST PRECEPTS, his work and more importantly his CREATIVE PROCESS is the result of BEING PRESENT in the CURRENT MOMENT and not being influenced by CONSCIOUS THOUGHT. COMPOSITIONS are not random, but instead just arise from the ether onto the canvas as he quickly grunts and GESTURES his way through his PROCESS.
from a WESTERN PERSPECTIVE it all appears a bit PERFORMATIVE and CONTRIVED, but given FOUNDATIONAL BUDDHIST CONCEPTS of NON-SELF and NON-ATTACHMENT, this EARNEST attempt at diminishing the role of the CONSCIOUS MIND in the PROCESS OF CREATION is WELL-GROUNDED. the INTELLECT is something that humans trip over all the time, searching and positing meaning where none exists. this is especially the case with ART and the critical appreciation of such. with GIMBLETT his ART has no INTERNAL agenda or HIDDEN meaning, it just EXISTS. its PROCESS of BEING was IMMEDIATE and its COMPOSITION the result of INSTINCTUAL, PRECONSCIOUS GESTURE yet its end result feels PERMANENT and SOLID. its quite the contradiction. similar to that of MARK ROTHKO or FRANZ KLINE, his is art that is also meant to be experienced in person. both known for his TRADITIONAL sumi ink PAINTINGS and MULTI-COLORED MANDALAS as well as MULTI-LAYERED PALIMPSESTS on various canvas shapes, INTERNATIONAL recognition for GIMBLETT's work came after being part of an exhibit on the MODERN influence of ASIAN ART on AMERICAN ART at the GUGGENHEIM in 2009. i found this BRIEF documentary, MAX GIMBLETT: ORIGINAL MIND (SPIRIT BOX, 2017), to be pretty REFRESHING as GIMBLETT's CREATIVE PROCESS makes sense on its own terms, yet confronts and undercuts that of the much considered and often OVERLY-INTELLECTUALIZED WESTERN TRADITION we are all indoctrinated under. his WORK and PROCESS seems to harken back to a PURER STATE OF BEING where one just reacted IN-THE-MOMENT and created with UNADULTERATED INTENTION with no PRECONCIEVED GOAL or OUTCOME outside of TRUE EXPRESSION. it makes me consider the similar INSTINCTUAL PROCESSES of ORNETTE COLEMAN and JACK KEROUAC who just went for it sans GUIDING PRINCIPLES or clear COMPOSITIONAL ELEMENTS. ART just emerged. definitely a COMPELLING conversation. photo & text by nacrowe
long the PROTOTYPICAL AFRICAN NOVEL included in COUNTLESS required stateside underclassman WORLD LITERATURE courses, THINGS FALL APART (WILLIAM HEINEMANN LTD, 1958) by the ICONIC NIGERIAN author CHINUA ACHEBE is a CLASSIC unto itself. the PLOT revolves around the rise and fall of the FICTIONAL figure of OKONKWO, a preternaturally GIFTED, LOCAL clan leader in PRECOLONIAL IGBOLAND.
for those UNFAMILIAR with the WEST AFRICAN nation of NIGERIA, the BRITISH colonized such in the late 19th century after effectively seizing such by agreement from the PORTUGUESE who had been in the area dating back to the mid-15th century. both sought the area for its RESOURCES in terms of PALM OIL, TIN, COTTON, COCOA and SLAVES. NIGERIA gained its independence from the UNITED KINGDOM in 1960, two years after the publication of THINGS FALL APART. in true BRITISH fashion, the departing colonizers combined three historically COMPETING tribes (YORUBA, HAUSA, IGBO) against each other in the VOLATILE formation of the nation which quickly resulted in the especially BLOODY BIAFRAN WAR after the IGBOs attempted secession in 1967. the IGBOs ANCESTRAL HOMELAND is that of the SOUTHEASTERN COASTAL REGION of the country with BOUNTIFUL PETROLEUM RESERVES that have resulted NIGERIA with becoming a textbook example of the RESOURCE CURSE of developing nations with an economy dominated by a EFFECTIVE MONOCULTURE or reliance on a SINGLE COMMODITY. all that being said, what made THINGS FALL APART an INTRIGUING NOVEL worthy of inclusion in the canon of WORLD LITERATURE was due to its structure. ACHEBE was raised by PROTESTANT parents and thus was given a TRADITIONAL ANGLICAN education regarding the bible as well as the classics. THINGS FALL APART is NOTABLE in that it combines the ORAL FOLK TRADITIONS of the IGBOs with the NARRATIVE STRUCTURE surrounding the TRAGIC HERO first provided by the ANCIENT GREEKS. it is a STORY regarding COLONIZATION and the DESTRUCTIVE effects of such on SELF-IDENTITY told through the MEDIUM and NARRATIVE STRUCTURE of that very oppressor. its pretty ingenious to criticize and take on those who formally subjugated you by taking on their PERSPECTIVE and TRADITIONS as the vehicle for such BARBED critiques. back in my teaching days i would utilize this TEXT after presenting various GREEK plays as well as a SHAKESPEARE TRAGEDY or two (OTHELLO, HAMLET, MACBETH, etc.) for context and familiarity surrounding with the TRAGIC HERO FORM. then THINGS FALL APART was where id complicate such. i always felt it was a COMPELLING TEXT in that sense, especially when doing so overseas where my students were similarly caught between two or more cultures simultaneously. NIGERIA itself is a nation of competing interests and peoples, a COMPLICATED and VOLATILE CONSTRUCT that only exists because the BRITISH created such pitting peoples against one another so that theyd be easier to manipulate from a far post-COLONIZATION (like with INDIA/PAKISTAN, ISRAEL/PALESTINE and so forth). the short novel spurred debates and inspired discussions every time. i miss teaching THINGS FALL APART. an INSPIRED NOVEL that is well-worth checking out and revisiting. still RELEVANT as ever. section of Nuestra Señora de las Iguanas (Our Lady of the Iguanas) [Mexico, 1979] by GRACIELA ITURBIDE
ive had the PRIVILEGED opportunity most of my life to be in circumstances that allowed me to experience UNIQUE CULTURES and witness RITUALS, PERSPECTIVES, HISTORIES, UNDERSTANDINGS and CUISINES ALIEN to my own. i consider it one of the great blessings of my life and for much of it i had a camera. when i was an INTERNATIONAL teacher often tasked with providing an elective, PHOTOGRAPHY was often at the top of my list followed by journalism. in both instances i really enjoyed introducing my secondary STUDENTS to NOTABLE PHOTOGRAPHERS from around the WORLD and the VISIONS they introduced. lately ive been revisiting the work of RENOWNED MEXICAN PHOTOGRAPHERS GRACIELA ITURBIDE and her often POETIC yet unblinkingly RAW DEPICTIONS of her NATIVE HOMELAND and its DIVERSE INHABITANTS. there is a DISTINCT SENSITIVITY to her ARTISTIC AESTHETIC which often showcases the hardships of the daily lives of the DISPOSSESSED and the UNDERSERVED with a sense of COMPASSION and EMPATHY. for these PEOPLE ILLNESS, HUNGER, POVERTY, FATIGUE and DEATH are COMMON companions and their PORTRAITS reveal such INTIMACY in a DIRECT MANNER. when i look at ITURBIDE's PHOTOGRAPHS, especially those of REGULAR PEOPLE in UNASSUMING locales where they live, i recognize and access memories of PAST PEOPLE i met along the way who likewise lead DIFFICULT lives in seemingly insurmountably IMPOSSIBLE circumstances. whether that be support STAFF at my former school in RURAL EASTERN VENEZUELA as the country was being decimated by hyperinflation or my FORMER LANDLORD in the COLD HINTERLANDS of NORTHERN ALBANIA, a POLICEMAN with an ADMIRABLE code of ethics in a CORRUPT region with anything but. in ITURBIDE's PHOTOGRAPHS i see a certain HUMBLE DIGNITY that can only arise from those whose FORGOTTEN, UNDERVALUED existences are lived and experienced at the edge of GLOBAL SOCIETY and at the BOTTOM END OF MATERIAL SUPPLY CHAINS. i just find myself becoming transfixed and fascinated anew with who these PEOPLE are and how they go about their daily lives with opportunities and HARDSHIPS so DIFFERENT than my own. to me that portal through the VEHICLE of PHOTOGRAPHY is the very essence of the MAGIC of that MEDIUM. and that was what i tried to instill in my FORMER STUDENTS. an APPRECIATION for PERSPECTIVE outside of my own and that of my CULTURE. its a process and a road i have been traveling down ever since. photo & text by nacrowe
of all the UNDERGROUND ROCK N ROLL bands that have made the IMPROBABLE jump to MAINSTREAM COMMERCIAL SUCCESS over the past few decades, arguably none has had more of a STYLISTIC evolution than that of AFI. and that is not some disguised slight or passive aggressively barbed way of saying that somehow they are inauthentic or chasing trends, because THAT IS NOT THEM. i feel strongly that their TRANSITION through HARDCORE, POST PUNK, GOTH ROCK, POWER POP, NEW WAVE and the like are just various aspects of their ARTISTIC AMBITIONS and COMPLEX identity as FOREMOST MUSIC FANS and AFICIONADOS. DIFFERENT EXPRESSIONS of the same truth if you will. and each record they have seemed to grow in CONFIDENCE and a willingness to alienate their fanbase with further EXPLORATIONS outside their own comfort zone and/or audience expectations. at this point in their career almost three decades in, the EXPECTATION now is a TRANSFORMED and uniquely REINVIGORATED SOUND each cycle.
but in the pre-BLACK SALES IN THE SUNSET (NITRO, 1999) era of the band, that is to say back when they were on DEXTER HOLLAND's (of OFFSPRING fame) indie label NITRO RECORDS and guitarist JADE PUGET was not an auxiliary studio PRESENCE and not yet a member, the band went through some GROWING PAINS. in fact, those three early series of albums recorded for NITRO when the band were in their late teens and early 20s showcase a PASSIONATE band with their STRAIGHTFORWARD HARDCORE roots playing to their influences and not necessarily expanding much from them. none more so than on their third record SHUT YOUR MOUTH AND OPEN YOUR EYES (NITRO, 1997), which suffers from a lack of DIVERSITY in SONGWRITING and INSPIRATION. what it does have in spades on tracks like "THREE REASONS," "A SINGLE SECOND," "LOWER YOUR HEAD AND TAKE IT IN THE BODY," and "THE DEVIL LOVES YOU" is an UNCEASING PASSION via DYNAMIC frontman DAVEY HAVOK and rolling PUNK ROCK rhythms that would be familiar to anyone with even a PASSING KNOWLEDGE of NOFX, BAD RELIGION, SNAPCASE, REFUSED and so on. it is a perfectly ADEQUATE HARDCORE-inspired album for the period and its DERIVATIVENESS is part of the APPEAL. once PUGET became a full-time band member and, more critically, the second half of an INSPIRED SONGWRITING partnership with HAVOK, the band would pay immediate dividends on its subsequent release BLACK SALES IN THE SUNSET and its likeminded follow-ups THE ART OF DROWNING (NITRO, 2000), SING THE SORROW (NITRO, 2003) and DECEMBERUNDERGROUND (INTERSCOPE, 2006). those records set the template for the rest of a career UNDAUNTED by EXPERIMENTATION and genre-hopping that showcased their LOVE of all things THE CURE, BAUHAUS, THE SISTERS OF MERCY and JOY DIVISION amongst so much more. would i recommend the SHUT YOUR MOUTH AND OPEN YOUR EYES album? probably not, but i have nothing against those early records. to me they are just a CURIOSITY regarding the early DEVELOPMENTAL efforts of what would become a truly PROMINENT CULTURAL FORCE that had not as of yet found its NICHE or GROOVE yet. it is the sound of a band still searching, which can be INTRIGUING but not something i necessarily return to very often. photo manipulation & text by nacrowe
as happens a fair amount on this website, i discovered a NEW BAND via the ongoing series of DEER GOD RADIO programs dedicated to specific INFLUENTIAL record labels. in this case being the BROOKLYN-based INDIE ROCK BAND CAVEMAN on the INDEPENDENT FAT POSSUM label. what immediately struck me about the BAND was the LAIDBACK SONGWRITING AESTHETIC and WARM VOCALS of one MATTHEW IWANUSA. sometimes these sunny UPBEAT INDIE POP songs were buttressed by EMOTIVE SYNTH PADS and other times supported with TASTEFULLY-HARMONIZED BACKUP VOCALS a la THE BEACH BOYS, either way their songs are WELL-CRAFTED and benefit from repeat listens.
in short, the BRIEF CAVEMAN catalogue is most definitely worth checking out.
photo & text by nacrowe
in business school i recently became aware of the TELECOMMUNICATIONS ACT OF 1996 that effectively lowered (if not eviscerated) the barriers of entry for corporate consolidation of RADIO STATIONS across the country. beforehand owners were limited by REGION and the NUMBER (6) of STATIONS that they were allowed to own and operate. post-legislation, CLEAR CHANNEL (now rebranded as IHEARTMEDIA) and CUMULUS own the majority of STATIONS and control their PLAYLISTS at a NATIONAL level. pre-legislation there were by design numerous REGIONAL PROGRAM DIRECTORS that were incentivized to seek out NEW SOUNDS by THEN-UNKNOWN ARTISTS that would excite their audience. doing so raised the prestige of the STATION as a RELEVANT CULTURAL MOVER.
all of this is to say that those INDIE ROCK bands of the early 2000s that were involved in what was deemed at the time a ROCK REVIVAL were the first ROCK N ROLL CULTURAL MOVEMENT (i feel HIP HOP had long since done such first) to bypass COMMERCIAL RADIO entirely. yes THE STROKES, VAMPIRE WEEKEND, THE YEAH YEAH YEAHS, MGMT, THE WHITE STRIPES, FRANZ FERDINAND and INTERPOL made it onto the regular rotation of LEGACY ALTERNATIVE ROCK stations at the time, but most of the more EXPERIMENTAL ACTS like TV ON THE RADIO, THE LIBERTINES, GRIZZLY BEAR, ANIMAL COLLECTIVE, LCD SOUNDSYSTEM, ARCADE FIRE, LIARS and THE ARCTIC MONKEYS were creatures of the INTERNET. in fact, all of these BANDS got their break via the NEW GATEKEEPERS in town, i.e. INDEPENDENT JOURNALISTS and CRITICS at then RECENTLY-ESTABLISHED MUSIC WEBSITES like PITCHFORK, THE FADER, BROOKLYN VEGAN and STEREOGUM. the fact that i am the last generation to remember a time when the radio was a FRUITFUL vehicle for discovering NEW SOUNDS still confounds me. at this point almost thirty years after the TELECOMMUNICATIONS ACT OF 1996, i have not listened to TERRESTRIAL RADIO in more than a decade. even when i am driving, INDIVIDUALIZED SPOTIFY PLAYLISTS and SPECIALIZED PODCASTS have taken the place of FM STATIONS. even NATIONAL PUBLIC RADIO has their major shows posted concurrently on STREAMING PLATFORMS. the RADIO is a DEADER THAN DEAD MEDIUM and when i think of QUIRKY and UNIQUE BANDS like THE WHITE STRIPES and THE YEAH YEAH YEAHS that somehow, however UNLIKELY, made an impact on the MAINSTREAM CULTURE, i think of the INCREDIBLE POWER and INFLUENCE of the INTERNET, not the RADIO. you cant help but wonder what the landscape of TERRESTRIAL RADUI would have looked like had consolidation never occurred. all those REGIONAL PROGRAM DIRECTORS fighting a FIERCE but ultimately COLLEGIAL battle for POWER and INFLUENCE by discovering and promoting promising EMERGING ARTISTS were effectively replaced by one SUIT in NYC. had that system survived my guess is that the NEW INTERNET VANGUARD may have been a welcome partner in that hunt for NEW SOUNDS and NEW ARTISTS. the whole ECOSYSTEM may have provided more opportunity at a SMALLER, albeit more SUSTAINABLE but less financially ADVANTAGEOUS scale. instead corporate profits won. as listeners we lost. as consumers we lost. CAPITALISM WON. embedded below is a recent DEER GOD RADIO episode on nonprofit internet radio station MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC that includes a playlist celebrating the so-called ROCK REVIVAL bands of the early 2000s. enjoy! photo & text by nacrowe
CYPRESS HILL's sophomore release BLACK SUNDAY (COLUMBIA, 1993) was a MASSIVE record for me and my friends during my middle school years living in NIGERIA during what was effectively a VIOLENT MILITARY DICTATORSHIP. while it dealt with similar SOCIAL ISSUES surrounding URBAN GANG LIFE and INNER-CITY WARFARE, which made sense given that their frontman B-REAL was a FORMER CRIP, this record expanded their public ON-STAGE ADVOCACY to include CANNABIS LEGALIZATION. this SPECIFIC CAUSE in time would become wholly SYNONYMOUS with and CENTRAL to the group's PUBLIC PERSONA, much like BOB MARLEY and WILLIE NELSON before them. along with TEMPLES OF BOOM (COLUMBIA, 1995) to a lesser extent, BLACK SUNDAY is my all-time FAVORITE CYPRESS HILL release given the HERCULEAN step forward in terms of PRODUCTION by DJ MUGGS, who created an IMPRESSIONISTIC and ATMOSPHERIC yet HARD-HITTING SONIC AESTHETIC that was incredibly INNOVATIVE at the time, as well as the much IMPROVED LYRICAL SOPHISTICATION and VOCAL INTERPLAY between both B-REAL and SEN DOG who even opted for LEVITY and HUMOR at times of PEAK BLEAKNESS on BLACK SUNDAY.
not surprisingly, my FAVORITE tracks are the HIGH-ENERGY ones dealing with GANG LIFE like "LICK A SHOT," "A TO THE K," "I AIN'T GOIN' OUT LIKE THAT," "BREAK 'EM OFF SOME," "COCK THE HAMMER" and of course the crowd favorite "INSANE IN THE BRAIN." those tracks all have a DISTINCT sense of MELODY and PUNCHY PERCUSSION that just snaps with such conviction that is married seamlessly with the B-REAL's higher register tales of SURVIVAL while SEN DOG and his BARITONE deliver brings it all back to STREET-LEVEL. CYPRESS HILL never sounded as DYNAMIC and COMPELLING as on these handful of tracks in my estimation. they are the SINGULAR reason i fell in love with the group as a teenager. this leaves the more sonically SUBDUED but no less IMPASSIONED paeans to MARIJUANA in "LEGALIZE IT," "HITS FROM THE BONG" and "I WANNA GET HIGH." funny thing is that back in middle school i had a LEBANESE friend that played "HITS FROM THE BONG" so often at school, in his car and at home that it is the first RAP SONG i memorized in its entirety, irregardless of the fact that i did not SMOKE WEED then or now. just saying. CATCHY song no doubt. with NATIONWIDE LEGALIZATION efforts over the last couple of years blunting (pun intended) the once HARSH PUBLIC PERCEPTION concerning RECREATIONAL DRUG USE of THC and its associated NON-PSYCHOACTIVE CBD compound, it may be harder to understand what a STRIDENT POLITICAL STATEMENT this was back in 1993. especially with regards to CALIFORNIA's three strike laws and the THEN-ONGOING WAR ON DRUGS, which was really a WAR on MINORITIES, THE DISPOSSESSED and the POLITICALLY UNCONNECTED. time would prove CYPRESS HILL absolutely correct regarding this issue of CANNABIS LEGALIZATION. and thank god for them taking a stand and being part of the CULTURAL VANGUARD set squarely against the SENSELESS INCARCERATION of urban MINORITY YOUTH over several generations. i know CLUELESS WHITE PEOPLE that took ADVOCACY as a joke, but it was absolutely deadly SERIOUS. still very much is an ACTIVE ISSUE with the way the SUPREME COURT is currently constituted and the IMMINENT and likely EXISTENTIAL THREAT of a TRUMP second term on the horizon. regardless, BLACK SUNDAY is an ESSENTIAL HIP HOP record. end stop. photo & text by nacrowe
for DETROIT LIONS FANS there has always been a SORE point of CONTENTION with how BARRY SANDERS ended his career at his peak, retiring seemingly out of nowhere by fax before what would have been his 11th season and 1,457 yards short of the ALL-TIME CAREER RUSHING RECORD to FOOTBALL icon WALTER PAYTON. SOFT-SPOKEN and MILD-MANNERED to a fault, SANDERS always let his playing do the talking. and what comes across in spades in the recent BYE BYE BARRY (AMAZON PRIME, 2023) documentary, is the SUPREME IRONY that the ULTIMATE team player, who cared so little for padding PERSONAL STATS or INDIVIDUAL ACCOLADES, was granted none of that same COMMITMENT or RECIPROCATED TRUST from his team superiors who arguably mismanaged and wasted the career of one of the GREATEST RUNNING BACKS of his or any generation.
from his youth SANDERS had a MILD TEMPERAMENT with an absolutely UNBRIDLED COMPETITIVE STREAK. in the film you are led to believe that such was due to his BRAGGADOCIOS FATHER WILLIAM who seemingly had an OVERWHELMING and DOMINATING PRESENCE, always with an a SELF-CONGRATULATING quip that somehow was more about himself than his SON. but that first impression was a red herring in that WILLIAM absolutely adored his SON as well as his nine other CHILDREN and relished that the TRANSMISSION of his WORKING-CLASS, HARD-WORKING ETHICS found FERTILE ground in that of SANDERS. for that his SON effectively idolized him. you get the feeling that throughout his FOOTBALL career the MASS ADORATION never phased SANDERS or altered his PERSPECTIVE or BEHAVIOR since deep down he knew that the LOVE of his PARENTS and FAMILY was UNCONDITIONAL and resolutely bedrock to his sense of IDENTITY. thus he didnt CELEBRATE after TOUCHDOWNS and SUPERHUMAN feats of AGILITY making LINEBACKERS and SAFETIES look SILLY in the process. he just handed the ball to the referee. NO DANCING. NO SHENANIGANS. NO BULLSHIT. it means that he was embarrassed to receive the HEISMAN TROPHY his junior year with one of the ALL-TIME GREAT RUSHING SEASONS while at OKLAHOMA STATE. it means that when he was done playing he was done playing and there would be NO FANFARE OR GRAND GESTURES. he came from his FAMILY in KANSAS and to his FAMILY he would return. it is entirely REFRESHING to revisit the figure of BARRY SANDERS and his impact on the city of DETROIT, which is somewhat on the upswing in recent years with the RESURGENT RELEVANCE of the LIONS under current head coach DAN CAMPBELL. like SANDERS, that team is not FLASHY but built on a combination of BRUTE ATHLETICISM, SKILL and GRACE. SANDERS gave everything during his time with the LIONS and it is nice to see this chapter closed as the team realistically seeks its first championship since 1957. by opening up you get the feeling that SANDERS is finally letting the LIONS RABID FANBASE into the fold of what is effectively his EXTENDED FAMILY. his LOYALTY and DEDICATION the people of DETROIT recognize and aspire to in themselves. you get the feeling that some LEGACIES built on CHARACTER and LOYALTY stretch far beyond RECORDS or TITLES. here is assuming that when the LIONS finally do clinch a chip SANDERS GREATNESS and place in DETROIT LORE will not be diminished one iota. he is their very EMBODIEMENT. photo & text by nacrowe
INTERPLANETARY COLONIES, NURSE CLONES and SPACE PIRATES? QUEENS cartoonist KATIE SKELLY in her debut offering NURSE NURSE (SPARKPLUG, 2012) seemingly has all that covered and more in an OPAQUE but thoroughly ENTERTAINING SCIENCE FICTION NARRATIVE about an INQUISITIVE, WELL-INTENTIONED and SELF-SACRIFICING NURSE named GEMMA who is thrown into a MAD ADVENTURE as she INNOCENTLY goes about her duties on VENUS battling a MYSTERIOUS SPACE VIRUS. right off the jump this GRAPHIC NOVEL had MAJOR BARBARELLA (PARAMOUNT, 1968) vibes with its EPISODIC PLOT STRUCTURE and LOVABLE INCOHERENCE. it very much felt like SKELLY intentioned us to enjoy the ride and admire the PSYCHEDELIC DEPICTIONS of FAR-OUT, FUTURE worlds, space travel and INTERPLANETARY COLONIES than get to mired down in the PLOT or deeper meanings. GEMMA, a NURSE straight out of school, is thrown into a vortex of CHARACTERS and SITUATIONS that confront and challenge her sense of SELF-IDENTITY and PURPOSE, but ultimately when such gets too HEAVY she outsmarts her adversaries and finds DELIGHT in being in the moment. no TRAUMA. no deep-seated |