OASIS: SUPERSONIC (MINT PICTURES, 2016) is easily one of the better documentaries ive watched in recent years, not least because strucurally it is an anomaly having  two competing narrators in the GALLAGHER BROTHERS walking us through their story on separate tracks.  recorded separately with no interaction, which seems as good a description as any for the dynamic within the group.  this film shows how this highly dysfunctional pair of siblings rose to prominence with the BRITPOP movement and cemented their legacy as iconic BRITISH cultural exports on par with THE BEATLES and THE SEX PISTOLS from previous generations.  its an amazing story.

you don't have to look very far in this film to see examples of singer LIAM GALLAGHER's loutish womanizing behavior that have made his king hooligan public persona the stuff of legend.  but honestly that stuff bored me.  what you really get at the heart of their relationship, and by definition the crux of this film, is this notion of an unbalanced division of labor.  guitarist NOEL GALLAGHER comes off as the brooding, sensitive son of an abusive MANCUNIAN father who made himself into a songsmith whose innate sense of melody and human observation led him to write transcendent songs that put him in the pantheon of great BRITISH songwriters along with the aforementioned LENNON/MCCARTNEY as well as RAY DAVIES, MORRISSEY/JOHNNY MARR, ELVIS COSTELLO, ELTON JOHN/BERNIE TAUPIN, VAN MORRISON, IAN CURTIS and even DAMON ALBARN.  but that only got him so far without the magnetism, charisma and straight-up sex appeal of LIAM in the vein of iconic BRITHS frontmen like JOHNNY ROTTEN, FREDDIE MERCURY, PAUL WELLER, NICK LOWE, JOE STRUMMER and of course (again) JOHN LENNON.  with NOEL you got the substance of an older brother that took the blunt of the blows from their father and with LIAM the upstart baby of the family, shielded from such abuse, who wanted all the attention good or bad.  super interesting family dynamic and expressions of warped masculinity that was probably also influenced by poverty, unemployment and the like in 1980s MANCHESTER.  

perhaps my favorite moment in the film is when NOEL is hard at work writing songs for their follow-up record in the studio while everyone else in the band has pissed off to the local pub, leaving him with all the creative control, but also the pressure.  at some point he asks LIAM for ideas and his brother is totally dismissive, saying that he didn't have time for that right now.  you really get the sense in this film, admittedly by both narrators, that this was NOEL's ship (despite the fact that he didn't start the band) and that LIAM was just in it for the fame, glory and the birds.  

it makes sense now that NOEL's solo career has blossomed into, for all intents and purposes, the second phase of OASIS' career given that the quality of the material has never diminished.  this can't be said for LIAM's solo work or lackluster BEADY EYE efforts, the later of which saw the remaining OASIS members dismally attempt to recreate the magic sans NOEL to no effect.  its super glaring and obvious now, but by watching this documentary you begin to understand that this trajectory was embedded in the very framework of OASIS and how it functioned and that LIAM seriously better set his ego aside and make nice with his brother.

seriously, for all our benefit.  make up and go conquer the world again.  nobody died.  you all survived.  nobody took your throne so got out and kick ass again.

please.  i really want to hear "ROCK N ROLL STAR" in a stadium.  just do it.

back during my first 3 months as a PEACE CORPS volunteer in ALBANIA during the requisite training awkwardly termed PRE-SERVICE TRAINING (in my opinion the minute you got off the plane in country you became a volunteer despite what anyone says to the contrary) i read LAWRENCE WRIGHT's PULITZER  PRIZE-winning book THE LOOMING TOWER (KNOPF DOUBLEDAY, 2006) bout the philosophical roots and systematic/organization machinations that lead to the 9/11 ATTACKS.

you know, some light reading.

the book is expansive and really gets into the long-term friction between AMERICAN CAPITALISM and the rampant tribalism that marks the ARABIAN PENINSULA that lingers on to this day.  that friction is first seen in a young foreign exchange student SAYYID QUTB who is crestfallen by what he perceives as the loose morales of the AMERICAN society he encounters during his time at the UNIVERSITY OF NORTHERN COLORADO in the 1940s.  his writings on his return to EGYPT mark the beginnings of the extreme strain of ISLAM that  calcifies and much later is exploited by the likes of AYMAN AL-ZAWAHIRI and OSAMA BIN LADEN.

the book is very much about how ideas are birthed, spread and imposed organizationally by those with the means and vision.  it just so happens here that this idea is terrorism.

what made this book interesting for me as a PEACE CORPS volunteer was ALBANIA's inclusion in the book.  during the nearby KOSOVO conflict of the late 1990s, SLOBODAN MILOSEVIC was basically ordering the genocide and ethnic cleansing of MUSLIMS in the region (also including BOSNIA).  this provided the perfect platform to franchise their organization in EASTERN EUROPE, and so in the capital TIRANA.  with the help of the AMERICANS, this cell was caught in 1998 and provided key information in understanding the structural implementation of the AL-QAEDA operation en masse.

as a PEACE CORPS volunteer more than 10 years later this information was, of course, omitted from what we were told of the region.  most of the volunteers were idealistic idiots anyways, so it wasn't like they were seeking out outside information anyway.  when i brought up the 1998 cell in an information meeting the security officer almost turned white, attempting to provide proper context for this omission.  but whatever.  i got it even then.  ALBANIA is one of those countries that can go either way, having a complicated and interesting history that finds it at the crosscurrents of influence by the east and west, christian and islam, land and sea.  as an act of self-preservation it is understandable that they would maintain dialogue with all actors in the region, and they do.  i always felt as a volunteer that we were the canary in the gold mine, but that is a story for another day.

this book is informative and expertly written in an approachable, very readable manner.  i highly recommend it and i'm glad that there is now a mini-series on HULU that is attempting to share its insights.  it should be required reading for all AMERICAN citizens interested in understanding the power of religion to corrupt absolutely.

parodies by nacrowe

check out HERE this recent streaming video episode of DEER GOD RADIO dedicated to the roots and enduring legacy of INDUSTRIAL MUSIC.

​past episodes of DEER GOD RADIO as well as other MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC shows like MAKE HER SPACE, NOWHERE FAST, THE SYNTHESIZER SHOW and CLASSICAL-ISH WITH NUTMEG are available here at the DEER GOD website.

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!

leave it to AARP of all places to produce this gem of a YOUTUBE series where the late comedic legend DON RICKLES (R.I.P.) gets taken out to eat and talk shop with various comedians including ZACH GALIFIANAKIS, AMY POEHLER, JUDD APATOW, SARAH SILVERMAN, SNOOP DOGG, ROBERT DENIRO, MARTIN SCORSESE and MARISA TOMEI.

i know his insults were not exactly the most politically correct or compliant with our current age's cancel culture, but shit that guy was funny.  and sharp.  even in his late 80s which in a sense makes the AARP thing make perfect sense.  here is an elderly dude giving these young bucks a run for their money.  you see him not missing a beat with witty comebacks and razor sharp barbs.  its totally endearing.  you also just get a real sense of how much he was loved and cherished by comedians, actors and directors.  almost like a surrogate family.

definitely worth checking out if you haven't already.

side note:
i remember when living in VLORA, ALBANIA during my time as a PEACE CORPS volunteer i told new, incoming sitemates that there were three rules to being a good volunteer.  now you have to remember that PEACE CORPS had all these maxims and without a doubt, they were all effectively  bullshit.  here were my three rules.  rule #1: don't be a dick.  rule #2: dont be a dick.  rule #3: whatever you do, don't be a dick.

i remember going around town and hearing different ALBANIANS i knew complaining about my sitemate, the fact that he said all these nasty things to their face.  i had to explain to them that he was just repeating things that i already said to them earlier a few weeks back.  their response was "yeah, but you didn't mean it."  i would tell them they knew i meant it and we'd all laugh.

i feel like what RICKLES did was similar in that he tore down the walls that we put up against each other in order to inhibit honest communication.  in a sense he was creating a shared sense of affection through his comedic barbs.  i almost see it as a kind of empathy in the way that the ALBANIANS i knew really felt i saw things from their perspective because i was so adept at mocking it and throwing it in their face repeatedly.  it definitely went both ways and it was all love.  for my sitemate they werent convinced he knew where he was and it came off as spiteful and full of hate.  oops.

​LOS ANGELES-based INDIE ROCK musician ARIEL PINK is a hard one to pin down as his work is highly experimental, often utilizing odd instrumentation (electronic, field recordings, woodwind) with dissonant results.  that being said, his music has a distinct classic pop sensibility.  this keeps him in tradition with THE BEACH BOYS and THE CARPENTERS as if channeled through CAPTAIN BEEFHEART and R STEVIE MOORE.

super interesting, multi-textured music that is definitely worth checking out.

parodies by nacrowe

i always feel like when you are listening to ROCK AND ROLL of any genre or era, inevitably all roads lead you to AC/DC.  their sound is stripped of anything superfluous and just hits you over the head with the grace of a sledgehammer.  to me it is the very essence of BLUES-based ROCK AND ROLL.  i mean what more can you say that hasn't already been said about MALCOLM YOUNG (R.I.P) and his sublime rhythm guitar playing.  it feels like he invented the notion of playing in the pocket.  if you only listened to their grooves it'd be worth the price of admission alone, but on top of that you have ANGUS YOUNG and his legendary crafty lead work that never seems extraneous.  BON SCOTT, BRIAN JOHNSON, i mean come on.

again, straight-up ROCK AND ROLL done absolutely right.  no chaser.  what more do you need on a thursday?

​past episodes of DEER GOD RADIO as well as other MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC shows like MAKE HER SPACE, NOWHERE FAST, and THE SYNTHESIZER SHOW  are available here at the DEER GOD website.

with the advent of YOUTUBE there is a whole host of record producers that realized maybe the salad days of the recording industry are over and that one possible new avenue for revenue is creating videos about music production.  producers RICK BEATO and WARREN HUART both come to mind immediately as they utilize their trained ears to inform the public about things like composition, tracking, mixing, panning and the various tricks of producing professional, well-recorded music.

i'll leave BEATO for another entry, focusing instead on an impressive sub-series HUART conducted on his PRODUCE LIKE A PRODUCER YOUTUBE channel where he interviewed prominent producers about noteworthy records they produced.  this sub-series was called INSIDE THE SONG.  the majority of what HUART does on his channel are long-form videos about the innards of recording studios and why owners chose various outboard gear and how producers go about utilizing such.  the INSIDE THE SONG series is more accessible to a non-techie crowd and gets into how songs evolved throughout the recording process and what particular techniques are favored by each producer/engineer at the time.  you also really get the sense of the amount of play involved in recording and how ideas evolve over time.  super interesting stuff even if you are not a confirmed studio rat.  especially such if you are a music junkie like i am.

participants to date include producers/engineers DAVE JERDEN (JANE'S ADDICTION, ALICE IN CHAINS), MICHAEL BEINHHORN (SOUNDGARDEN, MARILYN MANSON), ULRICH WILD (STATIC-X), BRADLEY COOK (FOO FIGHTERS), SHELLY YAKUS (TOM PETTY & THE HEARTBREAKERS, BLUE OYSTER CULT) and JACK DOUGLAS (AEROSMITH, CHEAP TRICK).  definitely worth watching.

i remember watching the documentary JIM & ANDY: THE GREAT BEYOND (VICE FILMS, 2017) with a family relative at his house within a year of returning stateside.  people had long thought that JIM CARREY had lost his mind based on some "unhinged" interviews he gave in which he questioned the very  nature of identity.  at best people thought he was attempting to be provocative and at worst, his faculties had devolved to the extent that we were now watching another HOLLYWOOD star in some sort of twisted, psychic free fall in which he had become detached from reality.

this documentary is based on his work in the MILOS FORMAN film MAN ON THE MOON (UNIVERSAL PICTURES, 1999) and the lengths in which he went through to become comedy icon ANDY KAUFMAN.  first some background. KAUFMAN was a transgressive comedian who used several outlandish personas that were designed to confront, and ultimately destroy, audience expectations.  he would withhold punchlines and gags indefinitely.  it almost reminds me how german composer RICHARD WAGNER would utilize leitmotifs in his OPERAS that never resolved, leaving the listener to be more and more enwrapped in the proceedings without a release.  KAUFMAN in my opinion was the COMEDY equivalent of such, working on a level that was both juvenile and transcendent.  makes total sense that another generational talent in CARREY, a man of many faces himself, would be so intrigued.  the footage of the filming showcases CARREY's dedication to being in character, even to the point of speaking with the family of KAUFMAN's in the first person.

 it makes sense to me that life as performance art made an impact on how CARREY viewed himself as an individual, even apart from comedy, since in essence we are all performing for each other all the time.  but who are we really?

this is where i think CARREY loses people when he talks about their being no individuality and that in essence we all cease to exist.  i know my relative fealt that way.

in my mind that was BUDDHISM 101, the idea of ANATMAN or "non-self."  there is no soul or unchanging essence that precedes us or follows us into death.  the idea of self-hood is a mirage,  a biological phenomena that helps us get through our lives but is ultimately a lie.  this precept takes root in HINDUISM with the concept of ATMAN, or a self concept, that in some schools is equated with BRAHMAN, or the ultimate reality.  its interesting because in the HINDU context, in essence there is also no individuality because we are all in essence an extension, a manifestation of BRAHMAN.  any concept of selfhood as being separate from the physical world is a contradiction in terms, by definition you are of this world because it is you.

for me the most interesting nugget in this film is how this idea of a non-self becomes interjected with the acting occupation, where people take on personas for a living.  in a sense, any persona is as relevant as any other and, to draw the point home again, we all are engaged in this activity.  we all perform according to what the local normative culture requires of us.  i personally saw this again and again living overseas when fellow AMERICANS would take on the racial prejudices of the local majority population. it always jarred me but made sense on a certain level, that your sense of self is intertwined with your surrounding context.

the fact that CARREY took this concept to heart doesnt seem crazy at all but a recognition of the false precepts that we all assume are resolute and unyielding when it comes to our sense of identity, yet in actual fact they are all inventions created to help us navigate an uncertain reality,

a fascinating documentary well worth checking out, whether or not you find the humor of CARREY amusing.  this film is working on a level far beyond that and i hope it reaches a decent audience, as we are in a downward spiral at the moment based on cults of personality and mass conformity spear-headed by corporate media companies of all political stripes.  the message of this film resonates with me far beyond the context of one actor and a film he did in the late 90s.

what doesn't jive with me is CARREY's anti-vaccine horse shit.  that's another rant altogether.  SMH. 

co-written and released around the time of his second studio album, recent departure from VELVET REVOLVER and return to STONE TEMPLE PILOTS, famed ALTERNATIVE ROCK frontman SCOTT WEILAND's memoir NOT DEAD & NOT FOR SALE (SCRIBNER, 2011) is a frustratingly clipped, half-hearted attempt at an open dialogue of a supremely gifted musician with his fans, family, critics, bandmates alike.  you really get the sense that despite his charisma and gifts as one of the premier vocalists of his age, his guard was forever up, especially regarding his reasons for abusing drugs which affected his career multiple times and, ultimately, took his life.

i dont know, maybe its me but this book came out shortly thereafter his exhaustive and expensive divorce was finalized and the recent publication of that same ex-wife's tell-all book.  in many ways this memoir feels like a cash grab.  i say that because in this book he doesn't come off like a knowledgeable narrator of his own life since things just sorta happen.  he comes off like a passive viewer, not even a participant.  we formed the band.  this song was about my ex-wife.  this song was about heroin.  nothing is ever expanded upon, just referenced or briefly mentioned.  which really sucks, because he had such a unique vantage point on that era given his stature as one of its premier and most successful lyricists and vocalists, along with KURT COBAIN, CHRIS CORNELL, EDDIE VEDDER and LAYNE STALEY among others.  just a shame this book wasn't more insightful.  for someone that saw himself as transcending cliches, this book is one never-ending cliche.  the cliche of taking advantage of your fanbase.

even the painful parts of his childhood, events such as being sexually abused and his parents divorce, just sort of happen and never inform anything later in his life, career or personal life.  even the birth of his kids just happens.

deeply disappointed by this memoir and i don't recommend it at all.  seems like a wasted opportunity, which probably could also be a summation of his career in general.

all that being said, i still love his first solo album 12 BAR BLUES and i highly recommend fans of classic 1990s TRIP HOP check it out.

photo by nacrowe

check out HERE the latest episode of THE NOWHERE FAST SHOW on MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC as host TOM FERRIE presents a summer playlist on location in BAY HEAD, NEW JERSEY!  remember everyone to stay safe out there!  use that sunscreen, social distance and wear mask when in public!  sounding like parents now.

also remember that past episodes of THE NOWHERE FAST SHOW as well as other MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC shows like DEER GOD RADIO, MAKE HER SPACE, THE SYNTHESIZER SHOW and CLASSICAL-ISH WITH NUTMEG are available here at the DEER GOD website.

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!

cover by nacrowe

click HERE for the most recent episode of THE SYNTHESIZER SHOW on MAKERPARKRADIO.NYC where Reed and Vince host the show in quarantine from remote locations in MASSACHUSETTS and BROOKLYN.  both talk about how they are getting through their isolation.

also they are both participating in the current FUND DRIVE for the radio station, donating a test pressing of the forthcoming ERASURE release.  for more details on this and other raffle prizes check out the listings HERE.

as always, you can access all past episodes of THE SYNTHESIZER SHOW via the DEER GOD website as well as those of MAKE HER SPACE, NOWHERE FAST, DEER GOD RADIO and CLASSICAL-ISH WITH NUTMEG.

​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!

this legendary INDIE band that came together in the wake of another iconic proto-DEATH METAL band DEEP WOUND, definitely does not need any publicity or fanboy admiration from me, but that is exactly what I am going to give DINOSAUR JR.

in all honesty they came into my consciousness in the early 90s when i was in 4th grade, partly by their quasi-hit "Feel The Pain" that was on regular rotation on local station KROQ and partly by the accompanying grotesque shirt my dad got at BLACK HOLE RECORDS in nearby Fullerton that i still have.  crazy.

but when i really got into them was later during my high school years when i was attending boarding school in WESTERN MASSACHUSETTS, only a few cities north of Amherst where they are from.  much like any other place i landed in, i pretty much sought out the local culture and all points led to vocalist/songwriter/guitarist J MASCIS.

what i love about their sound is the understated ferocity of it all.  you really get the sense of how much J MASCIS just adores swimming in glorious feedback and barely contained dissonance, yet the songs are delicate, whimsical and melodic.  i very much appreciated that dynamism and it makes perfect sense how such influenced later ALTERNATIVE ROCK bands.  seeing them live, as well as J MASCIS solo/THE FOG shows, it is almost absurd how loud it all is.  the only other band i can recall off-hand that was that loud was the almighty MOTÖRHEAD.  for me, the sound of J MASCIS playing guitar or hearing his voice reminds me of brutal WESTERN MASSACHUSETTS winters and surviving algebra half a world away from my family.  when i hear their music it reminds me of isolation and oddly, comfort.

i cannot recommend their work highly enough.  check out DINOSAUR JR.

so there i am at SUVARNABHUMI AIRPORT in BANGKOK (pictured below) just hours after leaving MYANMAR and my intense year of teaching there.  im waiting for a 10 hour+ connecting flight to HAMAD INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT (pictured above) in QATAR which will in turn connect me to an even more insane 17 hour flight stateside.  as an aside, DONALD TRUMP only hours before had decided to cut off ties with the ARAB nation, despite seeming to forget that our naval fleet was stationed there.  but thats another story in itself.

i just remember sitting there taking it all in: the architecture of the airport, the fact that i was lying supine on an extended couch with built-in charge port and hassle free high-speed wifi.  traveling is stressful, but this moment wasnt.

what people fail to realize is how beautiful these foreign airports are.  and they should be.  when visitors arrive, even those just passing through en route to somewhere else, obtain an impression about a country through infrastructure.

SUVARNABHUMI for its part is an absolute gem of an airport.  and im an expert on that.  i've been to countless airports in over 60 countries worldwide.  this airport is setup for the comfort of all tiers of travelers.  same with HAMAD INTERNATIONAL in QATAR.  the terminals there had geodesic architectural roofs that both evoked palm trees and ARABIC calligraphy.  both airports were clean and efficient and at no point did i feel like i was in a cattle call.  being in those airports felt like an experience.  

now i understand that both those countries are essentially run by hereditary dictators that largely curtail freedom of speech and impose ethnic violence.  that and in the case of QATAR utilize what is effectively slave labor for the construction of stadiums for the upcoming WORLD CUP.  sadly that labor policy is all too common in the ARAB states as a whole.  so i understand all that.  absolutely.  in some cases i even saw that shit firsthand (looking right at you KUWAIT).  not supporting their actions whatsoever, but man i have to hand it to them, those hereditary dictators did create two incredible modern airports.  as propaganda by way of architecture goes, both are top notch examples.

now im going to fast forward to JFK, the worst entry point for a supposed world-class democracy ever.

i arrive and the first thing you notice is how dilapidated and crusty the international terminal looks.  its an embarrassment.  you are yelled at several times to stay in line and eventual you are dumped into the customs section.  there are two lines, one for US citizens and those holding visas and then the other line for everyone else.  while standing in line full of a wide spectrum of humanity, all tired after a 17+ hour flight, we are all besieged by a wall of televisions all tuned to FOX NEWS where SARAH HUCKABEE SANDERS was giving a speech about the then-current MUSLIM ban.  she was literally talking about that room and others like.  people visiting family, playing tourist.  normal stuff.  just seemed so incongruent with reality.

at that point you had one of the TSA agents pointing to the non-US line travelers and pointing to the customs officials at the gate. "now when you get up there, no funny business, okay?" this officer declared.  "remember, no funny business, SPEAK ENGLISH." 

i wanted to crawl in a hole and die i was so furious.  first time back home post 2016 election.  WELCOME TO TRUMPLAND.

the thing that always gets me is that from the American perspective, we feel like these people should understand what a blessing it is for them to be here.  we fail to realize that AMERICA is not special.  people aren't any freer here or more intelligent or hardworking than they are in EUROPE or ASIA or SOUTH AMERICA or AFRICA or CENTRAL AMERICA.  the whole concept of AMERICAN EXCEPTIONALISM was a mirage we bought into while our infrastructure and way of life was crumbling around us due to greed and economic disparities.  when i see JFK or LAGUARDIA, or to a lesser extent NEWARK, airports i'm reminded about how the AMERICAN DREAM is as failed a reality as these crumbling hollow remnants of yesteryear's optimism and ambition about the future.

but that is what i see as an AMERICAN.  just think about the message we send to foreigners,  you know, those people that we say we dont care about yet compare ourselves favorably to.  just think of what they see.  if i was them, i'd connect through CANADA if possible and just fly over us.

when looking at a DIANE ARBUS photograph what you are witnessing firsthand is an experiential document of an alternative AMERICAN narrative from the not-too-distant 1960s and 70s.  her subjects run the gamut from drag queens, side show performers, twins, children, the developmentally challenged, the elderly and those that challenge normative culture with their unique perspective lived experience regarding issues of identity: specifically that of gender, race and sexual identity.

i don't find these images shocking, but for those who do i think it is due to the shallow nature of representation in our media diet of the true scope of lived experience in our country.  too often we are marketed and sold images that placate our national sense of self, which is youth-driven. 

this media reflection is the real freak show.  it distorts our self-perception and makes those that fall outside our collective limited conceptions of beauty and what constitutes "normal" as being outliers that should be disregarded.  this is to blame in my opinion for our infantilized views regarding issues surrounding sexual reproduction, death, aging, health and even family.

when i see her work i am reminded of once underground communities that have since been brought more prominently to the foreground of acknowledged lived experience.  they don't seem that alternative anymore in the face of newer "others" to be castigated and dismissed (Muslims, Hispanics, Africans, Chinese, etc).  not to get all BUDDHIST here, but i will be. there is no other.  there is no dividing line between you, me and all sentient beings on the planet.  it is all a shared experience.  to deny the existence of others is only damaging yourself by extension.

famously the historical BUDDHA, the prince SIDDARTHA GUATAMA, as a kid lived in a palace where he was only surrounded by young, invigorated, healthy people that his father the king purposely put in place within its confines.  one day when outside he saw the reality of the aging process and sickness and death.  his self-perception and sense of reality was called into question and his life decisions took such into consideration accordingly.  it was his real-life ALLEGORY OF THE CAVE played in a way PLATO may have not even imagined, as he used knowledge to further his goal of understanding reality minus blinders of greed and self-interest in the purpose of liberating his fellow sentient beings.


this is all well and good, but i know, again some would argue that the portraits of DIANE ARBUS are exploitative and her subjects the objects of revulsion or titillation.  i'd argue that wholly depends on the viewer.  if your limited scope of lived experience doesn't include these people than perhaps you should reconsider whether it is you that is being exploited by your feeble ignorance.

read a book.  go outside (not during the pandemic).  live a little.  see the world for what it truly is in all its inclusive diversity.

DUNKIRK (WARNER BROS, 2017) is a film very close to my heart. 

i should start by mentioning that during WII my great-uncle CHARLES CALIENDI worked for the DE HAVILLAND AIRCRAFT COMPANY and played a major part in designing and testing the MOSQUITO fighter plane for the war effort.  he was a very sweet, funny man and i still miss him dearly. 

in my mind this film is a love letter to all those who fought and died in WWII, with special focus on the efforts of the ROYAL AIR FORCE and common sea merchants who braved incredible odds and paid a high personal cost to bring their countrymen safely home during the BATTLE OF DUNKIRK.

the film itself focuses on harrowing experiences of the ALLIED forces as they were marooned in the coastal FRENCH coastal town of DUNKIRK awaiting evacuation.  as they waited along the beach they were picked off and bombed at will by the NAZI LUFTWAFFE. 

where this film excels is its ability to position the audience in the psychological and emotion headspace of the main protagonists: common soldiers stuck on the beachhead at DUNKIRK, RAF pilots and brave sea merchants doing their solemn duty.  this is done through a masterclass of visual storytelling, with absolute minimal exposition.  this film is really a story to be experienced rather than read as a piece of history.

in particular, there are numerous scenes of random wanton violence.  what is truly shocking is the silence shortly thereafter.  again, the psychological space that compels the characters, as well as the audience, to piece together meaning from that which is unsparingly violent and wholly unpredictable.  in essence we move forward but that silence lingers.

director CHRISTOPHER NOLAN is well-known for his ability to tease out the inner psychology of his characters, despite given genre expectations as seen in his filmography that includes INTERSTELLAR (SCI-FI), INCEPTION (SCI-FI) his DARK KNIGHT trilogy (SUPERHERO) and MEMENTO (NOIR/THRILLER). 

in my estimation, his war film DUNKIRK is his finest effort yet.  i highly recommend it for anyone interested in the power of filmmaking.

i should state first off that A TRIBE CALLED QUEST is in all likelihood my favorite HIP HOP group of all time.  just wanted to inform you of where my biases lie.

as ive stated before i first really became acquainted with HIP HOP during my formative middle school years living abroad in NIGERIA in the mid 90s.  though my classmates i was aware of TUPAC, CYPRESS HILL, SNOOP DOGG, THE NOTORIOUS B.I.G., N.W.A. and WU-TANG CLAN among others.  it wasn't until a few years later in high school when i was attending a boarding school in MASSACHUSETTS that i was introduced to A TRIBE CALLED QUEST.  for me there was a humor, an intelligence and a sense of sonic and lyrical craftsmanship that sold me not only on the group, but the genre as a whole.  Q-TIP and PHIFE DOG were my gateway drug of sorts.  through them i became doubly interested with new ears to the aforementioned groups as well as others like MOBB DEEP, PUBLIC ENEMY, DE LA SOUL, OUTKAST, SOULS OF MISCHIEF, NAS, BLACK SHEEP, RAKIM, GANG STARR, JAY-Z, UGK and future MCs like J COLE, EMINEM, A$AP ROCKY and EL-P.

for this reason i find HANIF ABDURRAQIB's examination of the musical and cultural legacy of 90s HIP HOP in his book GO AHEAD IN THE RAIN: NOTES TO A TRIBE CALLED QUEST (UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS PRESS, 2019) through the vehicle of this seminal group particularly compelling, as they were emblematic of the higher aspirations of the greater scene.  by that i mean they were sponges that celebrated their peers and black culture in general irrespective of geography.

author ABDURRAQIB makes no bones about his personal connection to the TRIBE narrative, often intertwining his lived experience as a midwestern black muslim with their music as a soundtrack.  it is not a biography by any means, but more an extended appreciation for one fan's perspective of their contributions HIP HOP culture, warts and all.  he definitely covers lots of aspects of their worldview and discography, but perhaps my favorite part of this books was his letter to the mother PHIFE DAWG, a fellow poet.  he makes the connection that her experience as a TRINIDADIAN immigrant and the cadences of her native patois had an influence on both her use of rhythm in her poetry as well as that of her son's lyrics.  seemed touching and poignant.

i can't really do this book justice as it is incredibly well-written and touches on topics like music production, pan-africanism, friendship, brotherhood, pride and family.  well worth reading if you get the opportunity or share a love for this seminal NATIVE TONGUES / EAST COAST HIP HOP group as i do.

as corporate propaganda goes, ERNIE BALL MUSIC MAN's online STRING THEORY video series on YOUTUBE is pretty effective.  they basically created extended interviews with such notable players as JOHNNY MARR, DAVE NAVARRO (JANE'S ADDICTION), JERRY CANTRELL (ALICE IN CHAINS), KIRK HAMMETT (METALLICA), DARON MALAKIAN (SYSTEM OF A DOWN), JADE PUGET (AFI), TOM DELONGE (BLINK 182), STEPHEN CARPENTER (DEFTONES) and J MASCIS (DINOSAUR JR) among many others, all explaining how they came to play guitar and what being a musician / songwriter means to them.  somewhere, of course, they mention the strings.

there has definitely been a move towards these types of online cross-promotional infomercials (well-produced as they are) by various companies in the retail guitar space, each showcasing how their product in concert with products by other notable manufactures support recording and touring musicians and allow them to pursue their art.  and just in terms of marketing i think that is a smart move since it equates your product with the quality of other well-known brands, in this case guitar manufacturers like FENDER, GIBSON, IBANEZ, G&L and PAUL REED SMITH and amp companies like MARSHALL, MESA-BOOGIE, FRIEDMAN, FENDER, DIEZEL, ORANGE and BOGNER among others.

in terms of each artist, hearing them talk about their influences and how they came about playing guitar as they strum off iconic riffs through their live rigs is just such a sweet spot to hit for any fan of guitar playing.  i can never hear enough of "THIS CHARMING MAN" or the solo from "THREE DAYS" in its entirety, no matter the context.

kinda feel guilty for showcasing blatant, unapologetic corporate propaganda, but oh well.  enjoy!

cover by nacrowe

check out HERE this recent secret, unannounced episode of DEER GOD RADIO that celebrated recording artists i've written about in the CHECK OUT THIS BAND section of the DEERBLOG over the past year.  writing about music and exposing artists i admire is a passion of mine so this is a special episode for me.  more to come!

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